The way it should be
by moviesneedmore
Summary: When the two star crossed lovers from District 12 were drafted into the 74th Annual Hunger Games they both fought their feelings for each other. Now will they let their feelings get them into trouble with the Game Makers?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Katniss wondered how this could happen to her. Everything that she had been through in her whole life has been a challenge. Now here she was on a train with a boy that threw her a loaf of burnt bread when she was starving. Peeta was a very quiet baker's son. They knew each other in school and in a couple weeks they could both be dead. She wondered if she was going to have to kill him to save her own life. 'Was this the beginning of my end? I needed to stop thinking so negatively. I needed to take this all in and try to enjoy what was left of my life. The train is beautiful and has many nice luxuries. God I want to eat one of those pastries, but I don't want to seem weak to Peeta.' Katniss thought in her head.

The district 12 escort Effie Trinket started talking about something but Katniss was not paying attention in the least. 'She is way too relaxed about this whole thing. What does she care anyway? She is only here for the entertainment of this all. I guess she is trying to find our mentor. Like I'll listen to anything he is going to say to me. I don't need his help. I can do this all on my own.' She thought.

"Have you ever met him?" Peeta asks Katniss. "Haymitch? He is our mentor and he did win this thing once." She knew was trying to get her to talk to him, but she doesn't want to talk about anything. "Look I know if you don't want to talk I understand, but I don't think there is anything wrong in getting a little bit of help." She looked at him and remembered when he threw her the loaf of bread. He was supposed to just feed it to the pigs, but he gave it to her. She wondered why he would do such a thing. He didn't know she was starving. As they look at each other she got a strange feeling that he was thinking something about her. As the door opens to the train car he looked down her body then at Haymitch who was coming through the door.

"Congratulations." He stammers out as he goes toward the bottles on the drinking cart. "Where's the ice?"

"I don't know." Peeta says. Haymitch just grabs a bottle and glass and comes over to sit next to the tributes. "So when do we start."

"Whoa Whoa. Most of you aren't so eager." Haymitch stops him.

Katniss stopped even paying attention to them. She just looked out the window of the train car and thought about what was going to happen. Later on she found herself sitting in her room she flicked on the TV and seen the commentators talking about the last Hunger Games. She quickly turned it off. Katniss laid her head down and try to think of something that will make her mind stop worrying. She started thinking about Peeta and when he gave her food.

'I only wish I could repay him somehow. He was so kind to me and now I have to think of this battle that is coming up where I might have to kill him if I want to be able to go home to my family. He has a family why doesn't he deserve to go home to his family. I wish there could be two winners. I wish there was some way to be able to stay together throughout this terrible ordeal and beat the game makers. I've known him forever but he is so much cuter then I remember. I know it is so wrong to think someone is cute when you might have to kill him in the not so distance future. I imagine he would be a great lover. His thick rippled muscles holding onto me not letting go.' As she thought in her head the ways of great love with Peeta she found herself rubbing her chest and her upper thigh. She had never been with any man. Not even Gale whom she thought was her closest friend. Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" She fixed up her blankets and adjusted her clothing as well as she spoke.

"It's Peeta. Can we talk?"

"Uh I guess. Come in."

Peeta walked through the door and closed it softly. "I'm sorry I just can't sleep and I know we are in the same situation so…"

"Peeta we aren't in the same situation. You and I are totally different. I don't know what's going to happen to either of us so what do you want me to say." She sat up in bed and pated the right side for him to sit down.

"I don't know. I just… I just don't know we are supposed to do in this situation?"

"What did Haymitch say?"

"He told me to leave him alone with his drink and we will start talking in the morning."

"Well I guess all we can do is wait then. I can't sleep either, but I was just trying to think of something to get my mind off of this whole nonsense." She thought back to the image of her and Peeta making love. Her cheeks turned red in response.

"What were you thinking of?" Peeta asked noticing her flushed cheeks.

"You know just like family and people that I want to see after this whole thing is over. We should try to get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."

"Ok. Can I ask you just one question?" He put his head down ashamed. She nodded so he could go on. "Are we going to be civil and talk through this or are we just going to ignore each other?"

"I don't think we have to do that. I think as long as we work together till the day when we have to parts ways we can be civil I think." She giggled. "As long as you don't just befriend me to steal all my knowledge and use it against me during the games."

"I promise I won't." He laughed too. "Well then I'll see you tomorrow morning." He got up to leave, as he left he smiled at her. He shut the door to her room and went into his.

Katniss lay back down on her bed. She remembered his smile as he left. He had such a great smile. She started back up where she left off before he interrupted her. Her left hand cupped her left breast and pinched the nipple until it peaked at her touch. She continued with the other breast as her right hand went back to her upper thigh. She rubbed her most sacred spot that she was saving for the man that she would fall in love with. She arched her back at her own touch in response to the feeling that she was getting in between her legs. It was like a fire, but a good fire that she wanted to burn her and consume her. She imagined Peeta's smile as she gently touched herself. 'Oh how I want him now. Can we be civil if all I want to do is have you touch me like I'm touching myself?' She continued rubbing her sweet soft spot until finally she let her climax run through. She smiled as she once again adjusted her clothes and blankets. She was finally ready to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning when she got up Haymitch and Peeta were already talking in the dining car. "What's a good way to get killed?" Katniss interrupted Haymitch very abruptly.

"Oh joy why don't you join us. I was just giving some lifesaving advice." Haymitch said as he poured his coffee.

"Like what?" Katniss asked.

Haymitch starting giving the two advice on how to get sponsors. Katniss didn't understand that you have to get people to like you. She wasn't that friendly of a person but she had learned to be that way to protect her. Just like that they were at the capital. She was now getting ready for the tribute parade. They were doing something different this year to get noticed which was good because Katniss needed all the help should could get to get sponsors.

As they rode in the Chariot towards President Snow the fire from their outfits was making everyone crazy in the arena. Peeta tried to grab Katniss hand but she pulled away instinctively.

"Come on they'll love it." He goes to grab her hand again and this time she lets him. As their arms rise in the air she fully understands that she has to be this tribute proud to be here. Not dwelling on the fact that she is there.

As the chariot slowed towards the end of the arena and their fire blew out she did not know why she was still holding onto Peeta's hand. His hand comforted her as the President spoke to all the tributes. She just could not wait for this whole parade to be over. She felt like she was going to explode from the inside, but while holding Peeta's hand it made her calm and she did not worry as much.

Peeta glanced at her a few times. 'She hasn't stopped holding my hand yet. I wish I could hold her closer to me. I wish I could tell her how much of a crush I have on her. Maybe we would have been able to be together if this didn't happen.' Peeta thought to himself.

Now that the tribute parade was over there was much work to be done for each of the tributes. They went up to the penthouse apartment of the tribute hotel. Effie Trinket is showing them around the apartment and instructs them to wash up before dinner. Peeta goes into his room and sees the grand bed to sleep on. He jumps up and down on it for only a moment until Effie sticks her head in the door.

"Do not jump on the bed. Manners Peeta please." She shuts the doors and Peeta can hear her footsteps going away. He jumps up and down a few more times before exploring his room more.

He wanders towards his bathroom and it is enormous. He sees the master bath tub and strips quickly. The water smells like roses as it runs down the drain. When it is the perfect temperature he climbs in and the glass stall closes on itself. The hot water pours over his body. It feels so good much better than a tub bath from district 12. He scrubs his body with the soap and begins to think into the distance while the hot water flows over his tired muscles. They were going to be overworked the next couple days and hopefully he could make it through this terrible ordeal.

'What about Katniss?' He thought to himself. If he made it through then the girl that he loved would have to die. He didn't want that. 'I wish there was some way for both of us to win. I don't want to kill Katniss. I love her. I have loved her for so long and now we are enemies. She was so beautiful today. Then again what day hasn't she been beautiful?' He started getting an erection which he always did when he would think about Katniss. He gently started stocking his cock till he was fully hard. He imagined that her lips were wrapped around him eating up every last bit of his most sensitive area. As he stroked himself he could feel himself getting closer to climax. He started stroking faster and harder imagining that he was on top of Katniss now thrusting fast into her hearing her scream his name out loud at her own climax. As he continued he threw his head back readying himself for his release. The water poured over his face as he spilled his seed into the tub basin. He slowed his stroking till he had finished enjoying the feeling of his release as he got softer. He finished washing himself up and got out of the shower. 'I hope the game makers weren't secretly watching me. Boy that would be embarrassing.'

As he dried off he wondered 'How am I going to tell Katniss that I have feelings for her. I don't want her to think that I am using her someway. I just want to be able to tell her. If only there was a way I could tell the world. Then for sure we would get sponsors because they would love the fact there two people in love in the Hunger Games. If only…' His thoughts trailed on. He got into his some clothes that were laid out on his bed. It felt weird being dressed, but most likely Effie wanted them to be dressed nicely. She was all about presentation.

Everyone ate in silence the first night. Katniss wouldn't look at Peeta. Peeta ate so fast he was done before everyone else and went back to his room. Haymitch reminded him that first day of training was tomorrow and he grunted his acknowledgement.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day during training they were able to see what some of the other tributes had to offer during a fight. The district one and two tributes looked lethal. Peeta was worried about what was to come. He thought to himself 'I am going to be one of the first to die if I don't think of something to do. They are going to kill me so fast because I am so weak. Katniss has a chance. She at least can hunt and fend for herself in the woods. What am I good at? Nothing!"

At dinner that night Haymitch brought up the district one and two tributes how they volunteer for the opportunity to fight when they become 18. He told them how they are arrogant and that can be dangerous. "I hear you can shoot." Haymitch said to Katniss.

"I'm ok." She replied.

"She's better then ok. My dad buys her squirrels. He says she shoots them in the eye every time." Peeta gloated on how good she was. Trying to make Katniss feel good about herself.

"Well Peeta's strong. He can lift a 100lb sack of flour right over his head. I've seen him do it." Katniss responded back.

"Well I'm not going to kill anyone with a sack of flour."

"Well maybe you will have a better chance of winning if someone came at you with a knife."

"I have no chances of winning. None. Alright." Peeta was upset because he was right. There was no way that he would be able to overpower any of the district one and two tributes. There was no way he would kill Katniss. "It's true. You know what my mother told me before we left. She said district twelve might win this year. She wasn't talking about me." He stirred in his seat. "I'm not very hungry now." He got up and went to his room. Katniss also left the table. Leaving Haymitch and Effie to keep each other company.

When Peeta got to his room he closed the door as he started to let the anger get to him. He started throwing things because deep down he knew he was right. He was going to die in the games. He wasn't going to see his mother again. He would never do anything back in district twelve. He would die along with 22 other tributes in the Hunger Games. Would Katniss be one of the 22? He hoped not. He hoped that she would be able to make it back home to her family. She would make the district proud. He would be lying in a field decomposing. 'I'm not going to make anyone proud. When I die most likely people will rejoice in the fact that with my death they are one more tribute down to the end of the Hunger Games finale.

"" He screamed out his frustration on his balcony. Katniss heard him from her room. She went to see what the matter was. She knocked on his door likely.

"What!" Peeta yelled from his balcony.

"Can I come in?" Katniss asked softly.

"If you must." She wasn't the person that he really wanted to see right now but at least she was the only one that could relate to what he was going through. She walked through the door slowly. "What do you want? I think I said everything I needed to at dinner."

"I heard you scream off the balcony. I wanted to make sure you were alright. I know this is a terrible time for us. Everyone in this hotel is going through this." She was trying to reassure him. She walked up behind him on the balcony. Being careful not to get too close to the edge. "Don't be angry at me or anyone else. You just have to do your best. I'm sorry if I offended you." She put her hand on his back and gently started rubbing him up and down trying to comfort him. When she realized what she was doing she stopped.

"You didn't offend me Katniss. I'm just scared. Not even my own mother thinks I'm going to survive this thing." He chokes back a tear to try and not seem weak to Katniss. "I just don't want to die. I'm young and I had a full life ahead of me till Effie drew my name out of a bowl. Now look what I get to look forward to. My ultimate demise. I'm going to die before you." He turned and looked into her eyes. "I don't want you to kill me and I don't want to see you get killed." He put his head back down.

"I wish I could tell you that those two things aren't going to happen. But the truth is neither of us knows what is going to go on till that buzzer rings. I don't want you to die and I don't want to die either, but that's just not how the game is played. I hate that this happened to us." She puts her hand on his. "I promise though that I won't be able to kill you. Nor would I ever be able to kill anyone from my own district." Peeta intertwined his fingers with hers. "I don't want to kill anyone, but my life depends on it. I'm going to do everything possible just to wait it out. Hide out in the trees and live off the land."

"What if someone finds you?" He really enjoyed holding her hand. He wondered if she at all noticed how much he was enjoying it.

"Then they find me. I will only kill someone if I have to. I don't really think this game is really a game at all. If I can I just want to destroy the game makers. This is unfair for us to do this." She put her other hand on the railing of the balcony. She was very high up and it wasn't that she was afraid of heights but they were very high up.

"You can't beat the game makers." Peeta said.

"I know I can't. But I can hope in some way I can disappoint them." She looked at him and smiled. "You feel a little better?"

"Yes I do. Thanks Katniss. If we weren't here…" He trailed off.

"But we are here. So let's just not worry yet. We still have a couple days before we have to fight for our lives." She turned to go inside, but Peeta was still holding tight to her hand. "I'm going to need my hand to go inside."

"Ok." He let go and looked down to the ground floor.

"You coming in?"

"Maybe in a bit. Think I'm going to stay here just a bit longer." He turned and smiled at her one last time before she went in.

Katniss went back to her room. She lay down on her bed and curled up in the covers. She held her hand up to her face that she had once held Peeta's hand in. He had such a tight grip and he was so strong. She wondered how muscled he was underneath all those clothes. She needed to stop thinking like that, but nothing worked. She fell quickly into a deep sleep.

Her dream had started in slowly. She and Peeta were in the forest during the games. They banded together to protect each other. She was hunting for food and he was guarding their stash of items. They had a tent and a sleeping bag that they shared at night. It was so silent in her mind. She tried to listen what Peeta was saying but she couldn't.

All of a sudden his lips were on hers. His toned arms were wrapped tightly about her and she felt him pull her in closer. As the kiss deepened he drew her to the little tent. He gently slipped both their bodies into the sleeping bag without ever breaking contact with her lips. She gasped for air and he swiftly took off his shirt. She thought in her mind how beautiful he was. She stared at his chiseled chest for what seemed like ages. He began kissing her again but this time he started rubbing his hands up underneath her shirt. He massaged her breasts until both nipples were soft peaks of tautness. He broke the kiss again and quickly removed her shirt and her undergarment. He leaned his head down and started slowly sucking each nipple while massaging the other with his palm. She gasped at the pleasure he was bringing her.

He came back up to kiss her. She said the words 'I want you now' but she couldn't hear them. He kissed her passionately while removing the rest of their clothes. He settled on top of her and waited as if asking to make sure this is what she truly wanted. She nodded and brought his face to her to give him a sweet gentle kiss. He put himself inside her slowly not knowing if she was a virgin or not. She was so the second of pain split through her fast. As soon as it was over she nodded again letting him know that it was alright to keep going. He took one long thrust up into her core. It hurt briefly, but then she felt her muscles move around him and get used to his very large length. He started moving back and forth slowly at the start but as he kept going he got faster and faster. She arched her back and tried to push herself down onto him with the same rhythm that he was thrusting himself into her. She wrapped her legs around him and held him close to her. He did the same by wrapping his arms around her and just moving his lower body in stride with her. She felt the pressure building. Her climax was soon to come to her as his was going to come to him as well. The rocked together as if they were one and finally an explosion swept through her body. He strained and pushed his seed deep inside her. They crashed at the same time. He lay on top of her careful not to crush her. The only sound that she could hear throughout her whole dream was coming up. Peeta looked into her eyes. He swept away the hair that was now attached to her face from perspiration. "I love you Katniss."

She woke up abruptly. She was sweating and her body felt like it was on fire. 'How can I have a sex dream like that with him?' She got up from her bed and paced the floor. 'Oh my it felt so good. It was just a dream, but it felt so good. Am I wrong for having that dream? No I can't be. No one will know about it anyway.' She went into her bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She went back to her bed and lay down on the soft covers. 'I better get some sleep. Big day tomorrow. Hope I can dream like that again.' She smiled and quickly drifted off to sleep again.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry that this one is so long. I just couldn't stop writing. If you like please review. This is my first try at Fan Fiction. Thanks for reading and have a pleasant day!

Chapter 4

Today was the day they would be judged by the game makers. In the morning Katniss and Peeta did training with the other tributes. Katniss kept watch on some of her competitors. She had some concerns about Thrush, Marvel, Cato, Clove and Glimmer. Rue seemed to be very quick and quiet and she could climb better than anyone that she had ever seen, but Rue took a shining to Katniss. Katniss thought to herself 'I won't be trying to hurt Rue in any way. She reminds me so much of Prim. Oh how I miss my little sister. Stop you have to be strong. For you and for her.'

After they were judged by the game makers Peeta and Katniss went back up to their rooms. Peeta and Katniss were worried because soon training would be over. They were about to get scores from the game makers which also was always a stressful situation. Katniss was in her room lying on her bed just staring at the ceiling. 'I wish I could be back home. I don't want to do this and most likely I just really insulted the game makers. Effie is going to come in here any minute and start yelling at me for how I treated her people.' She laughed softly to herself and before she could think for two more minutes alone she heard Effie calling for her. "I'm in here!" She yelled back.

"Now Katniss where are your manners. You come out of there right now. You have some explaining to do."

She moseyed out to the living room to take Effie's rant with grace. After Effie had her scream session and after they had gotten their scores Katniss was sitting down to dinner. Haymitch came up and told her that they got to train with them the next day and that Peeta was not going to train with them anymore. "What? Why?" Katniss asked.

"Well these things do happen at this point. I mean there is only one winner." Haymitch shrugged it off like it was no big deal but it was a big deal to Katniss.

She excused herself from the table and walked towards her room. 'Why wouldn't he want to train with me? Just because I got a better score then him? I'm going to go get some answers.' She turned around and went to Peeta's room. She knocked three times and waited for an answer.

"Come in." Peeta thought it was Haymitch or his stylist. When Katniss walked into his room he was startled. He asked politely, "What do you need?"

"I need to know why you don't want to train with me. You were the one that said we could help each other and now you don't want to see me at all?" She stomped over to his bed where he was lying down reading. He had a pair of pants on but no shirt.

"Look don't take offense. It's nothing you did I just don't think we should be training together because after this is all over and we are done being taken care of we will be at each other's throat. I don't want to be like this but that's the name of the game." Peeta put his book down and stood up next to Katniss.

"We are in this together. I don't think I'm going to be able to deal with this if I have to listen to just Haymitch talk all day." She took a step back because she thought they were way too close. She looked at his body briefly. 'I can't believe how in shape he is.' She thought to herself quickly. "Please don't do this. I want to train with you."

"I'm sorry Katniss I didn't know it was that important to you. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I mean I scored and 8 and you scored a 12. That's a total of 4 points difference. You're just going to show me up. Haymitch will be wasting valuable time on me when he should be training you with something."

"It wouldn't be wasting time he is here to mentor both of us."

"It doesn't matter to me. I'm most likely going to be dead…" Katniss stopped him.

"You're not going to die! If I have anything to do with it! Stop thinking so negatively I am sick of it. You're going to do fine. If I had my way we would be able to team up." Katniss started crying so Peeta wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. "I'm sorry I just don't know why two people can't win. Then it would prove who the better district was." She put her head against his shoulder and continued to cry.

"I'm sorry Katniss. That's just not how the games go. I mean President Snow is ruthless about these types of things. Whenever previous people have tried to partner up he has always stopped them somehow. "He brushed his hand through her hair. "No matter what one of us has to die."

They didn't know it but at that very moment Seneca and President Snow was watching them with the hidden cameras in their room. The cameras have been there since the beginning of the games to make sure that the tributes didn't try to kill themselves or someone to harm themselves in any way.

"Do I really seem that heartless?" President Snow asked Seneca.

"Well Sir you have the power to change the rules at any time that you wish. You are President. You have never let there be two winners during your presidency even when a stronger tribute is trying to protect a weaker tribute." Seneca only answered him honestly. He was afraid what President Snow would think about what he would say. He had the power to do anything he wanted.

"Well it has never been changed before my reign. What do you think about it? We are supposed to give these tributes hope. The odds would be better for the tributes if there were two winners." He thought about it for a minute. "Seneca I want you to get me a panel of 1000 volunteers. Ask them would they rather there would be two winners or just one. Ask them if the winners would have to be from the same district. Get a public opinion about it and then after the interviews tomorrow we will make an announcement of what the people have decided." President Snow turned away from the monitors and walked away from Seneca in the monitoring room.

'This could be a very profitable idea.' He thought to himself. He got together 500 ladies and 500 gentlemen to make the decisions. He added a couple more questions to the questionnaire that would make it longer for the committee to answer. 'I like the idea of two winners. District one or two would definitely be the winners. They will walk all over the others if they get to be paired up.'

He looked back at the monitor that was showing Peeta's room. They were still standing the same way. Obviously Katniss could not stop crying over this whole ordeal.

"Katniss what is really wrong? I have never seen you like this. I have never seen you this sad about something." Peeta just held her while he could. It felt so good to him.

"This is what's really wrong. I don't want you to die. I don't know how I would be able to go back to our district if you died. Your mom and dad would hate me forever. They probably would never trade me for bread ever again for one of my squirrels. I would have to live with the fact the rest of my life that you died in the games and I didn't. How would that make you feel if you had to do the same thing? Could you look at my sister ever again? Would you apologize to my mother?" She took a step back. His arms were still around her and they were staring into each other's eyes. Another tear started rolling down her face.

Peeta stopped it before it could even make her cheek. "I wouldn't be able to either. But we don't know what will happen before it does. You are over analyzing it. Just stop because you can't change anything. Our fates are already set. Now we just have to go with what happens. Listen tomorrow after training, which I will go down with you, Haymitch and I will go through the rule books to see if maybe for some period of time we can team up just to help each other without making the game makers upset. How does that sound?" He gave her a smile to try and ease her mind.

"That sounds better than just giving up." She smiled back at him. "Why couldn't we be friends before this happened? I would have liked to get to know you when we weren't stuck here." She leaned back into him and gave him a solid hug.

Peeta hugged her right back. Just then Haymitch walked into Peeta's room. "What the hell is going on in here?" Peeta and Katniss separated very fast.

"N… Nothing is happening Haymitch. Katniss was upset about the games and we were just talking it out." Peeta realized how it looked since he didn't have a shirt on.

"Doesn't look like nothing Peeta. What would bother you anyway Katniss? I don't think I have seen you show one emotion besides mad since I first met you."

"Just because I don't like anything about being here doesn't mean I'm not human." Katniss walked out pass Haymitch and slapped the glass out of his hand. It shattered on the floor. "I'm sure you'll get someone to clean that up."

Haymitch grabbed her arm, "Listen here little lady. You better give me some respect. I'm training you tomorrow and I might just not feel like helping you out."

"Who said I needed your fucking help?" Katniss ripped her arm from his grasp and walked into her room. She locked the door and threw the flower vase across the room. Its pieces now strewn across the floor and she didn't care if she cut herself. She was not going to call someone in to clean it. She wanted to be alone.

'I can't believe he can be such an ass. I have emotions! I'm not just some fireball that's always mad. Threaten me with no help. Yeah right like I really need him. I can do this on my own.' She started crying again. She walked over to her bed and climbed in under the covers. 'I just don't want to live in a world that I have to maybe kill Peeta. I don't want to kill anyone, but my life depends on it. How did he do it so many years ago? How can he talk to use knowing both of us may die? He is the one that has no emotion.'

Back in Peeta's room a maid was cleaning up the shattered whiskey glass. "I'm sorry she did that Haymitch. She is just really upset that we have to fight soon."

"I think there is more to it than just that. That was pure rage when she looked at me. You guys really weren't doing anything were you?" Haymitch already had another drink in his glass. He lifted it to his lips but kept eye contact with Peeta trying to read his mind. The maid excused herself passed Haymitch after she finished cleaning.

"No we weren't. She doesn't like me like that. We are just in the same situation. Well kind of." Peeta put his head down.

"You like her though?" Haymitch questioned.

"I have had a crush on her for a long time. She never noticed, but that's why I know I won't win. I won't be able to kill her." Peeta looked back at Haymitch. "I never would have thought that this would ever happen or I would have asked her out or done something."

"Look you can't change anything, but just don't tell her. You don't want her to feel all guilty about it. She probably wouldn't react very well." Haymitch took another swig off of his drink. "I'm going to go now. I just came in here to ask you what time you wanted to train with me tomorrow?"

"Whenever Katniss is. I told her I would train with her still."

"You are a sick little puppy dog you know that?" Haymitch laughed as he walked out of the room.

'I may be sick but at least I am in love.' Peeta thought. He got back into his bed. There was no way he was going to get proper sleep tonight. Having Katniss in his arms tonight felt so good. 'Thank goodness I didn't get hard while holding her. I would have really made a fool outta myself.' Thinking about holding her he started getting hard. He tried to will his erection away but he couldn't. He closed his eyes and imagined Katniss again. Dream Katniss probably could never compare to real Katniss, but this would have to do. He was in fact a virgin and he didn't want to die that way, but it didn't look like he had a choice. He started stroking slow at first. He kept his eyes closed tightly. He felt himself coming to his climax very quickly but then again he was so turned on. He picked up the pace and started really stroking firmly until he came into his sheets. He cleaned himself off and then threw the dirty sheet on the floor. He readjusted himself into his blanket and tried to clear his thoughts.

Katniss was still crying in her bed. She did not want to be in the games anymore. She wanted to live and be with Peeta, but how would she get out of it. She was trying to think of a plan when sleep overtook her without warning.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning Katniss and Peeta trained with no emotion. They listened to everything that Haymitch had to say. Katniss tried not saying anything because she didn't want to feel any weaker then she already showed last night. While she was in a running exercise she thought, 'I wonder if Haymitch thinks that we were going to kiss or something.' She smiled to herself, 'I mean I was so close to moving in when that jerk ruined everything.' Just then she was tripped by a trip wire that Peeta had set like Haymitch showed him. "Aaahhhh." She yelled as she fell to the ground.

Peeta ran up on the loud scream accompanied by her scream. "Katniss you ok?"

"Yes I'm fine, just really took me off guard. How did you camouflage that so well?

"Easy. Branches and leaves. You were running that's why you didn't see it. I bet if you were walking carefully you would see it easy. Let me help you up." Peeta extended his hand to her and she gladly took it.

They walked back to where Haymitch was standing. Just before they left the comfort of the trees Katniss dropped Peeta's hand. Peeta thought, 'Wow I didn't even realize we were still holding hands till then.' He smiled and pushed the limbs backwards so Katniss could walk through.

"How you doing sweetheart and little puppy dog?" Haymitch chuckled.

"Peeta just tripped me with one of your traps."

"Oh the hunter finally caught his prey." Haymitch whispered towards Peeta so softly Katniss couldn't hear. "Glad he's learning something. So I think we are done with the physical part of our training this morning. Also my drink is empty so I think we should head upstairs and work on your interview questions."

When they returned to the penthouse Cinna was already waiting for Katniss. "We have to get ready for the interview."

"Hey I'm not quite done with either of them yet." Haymitch spoke up.

"Well I have hair, makeup, prep, and questions that I have already worked on to help her with the interview. Not including getting her into her dress." Cinna grabbed her hand and began walking away. Katniss followed but took one look back at Peeta. Tonight would be the last night they would be able to be civil with each other. Things were going to change as soon as they got back from the interviews. 'I won't change, but I can't tell what Peeta is thinking. Argh. I wish this would be so much easier.' Cinna took her to her room and closed the door behind them.

"So Katniss what do you think of your dress?" Cinna unveiled the bright red garment and made a pirouette so the flames would ignite.

"I'm wearing more flames?" She smiled.

"Well you are Katniss Everdeen the girl on Fire." He put the garment down. "Now I know this is your last night before the games, but don't worry. I'm going to be right there helping you through this. Now let's make you beautiful and totally unresistable."

Later on after they had gotten ready there was a delay in the interviews of an hour. So everyone sat down to dinner before they went anywhere. Effie tried to break the silence. "So are you both prepared for your questions tonight?" She smiled and waited for an answer.

"I think I will be fine. I just hope they don't ask us about back home." Peeta spoke up first.

"Why's that Peeta. Don't you want to be proud you are from District 12?" Effie asked.

"I am proud that I am from District 12, but I am not happy to be here. If I had a choice this is the last place on earth I would be. So I wouldn't want to talk about the only place that brings me happiness right now. It would be hard for someone in our situation to talk about back home." He snapped at her.

"Peeta manners!" She tried to remind him.

"I don't care about your stupid fucking manners. I don't even want to be interviewed. This is stupid. Parade us around in front of thousands and you want me to be happy about it. You want to trade spots with me or Katniss? Come on Effie you know exactly what capitol people want since you are one of them. Give them what they want a good fucking show that's all this is for." Peeta put his head down and finished eating his food. He got up in haste and threw his chair back. "I'm going to my room. Call me when the interviews are going to start. I can't stand this chit chat over dinner. It's so fake."

As Peeta stomped off Effie said, "I can't believe how he just talked to me. Who does that?"

"Effie he's not mad at you. He's under a lot of stress. We were supposed to already be done with all of this and be getting some rest for the games. It's just hard to be a tribute right now. I'm going to go to my room too." She got up to leave as well but instead of going to her room she knocked on Peeta's door and walked in.

"Peeta? Are you ok?" Katniss called to him, but couldn't see him.

"Why do you always follow me when I'm upset?" He walked from behind the curtain to the balcony. "When I am upset I just want to be alone and here I am and here you are."

"I don't think we should spend any time alone tonight. This is something we are both going through and I think it would be healthy for our mental state to stay together on this. You snapped at Effie and she was just trying to make small talk." She walked up next to him and looked at his eyes. "Why are you crying?"

"I don't want to talk to Caesar tonight. I am afraid he is going to spill a secret I have and I am worried you won't like it." Peeta put his head down.

"Whatever it is I can handle it. What's wrong?" Katniss walked over to his bed and gestured for him to sit down with her.

Peeta sat down next to her. He took a deep breath in and exhaled. He was about to tell her the most important thing and he needed to release it. "Well I have been having a real hard time dealing with all of this because well Katniss I…" Peeta was cut off by Haymitch walking right in the room.

"Oh hey you're both in here. They are ready for you guys. Let's get this show on the road." Haymitch clapped his hands in anticipation of the evenings interviews. District 12 was always last so this was going to be a long wait for them.

"Wait Haymitch. Peeta was about to tell me something." Katniss wanted to hear what Peeta had to say.

"No time sweetheart. Oh and Peeta you are supposed to be happy and proud tonight so no bull shit tonight like at the dinner table with Effie." He walked in and grabbed the two off the bed and pushed them out the door.

As they waited for the interviews to start all 24 of the tributes stood in a line. Ladies before Gentlemen in district order. The anticipation was getting to Katniss and Peeta. Every time they tried to talk to each other someone for the show crew would shush them before they even got a word in. Finally it was Katniss' turn. They took her up to the stage and she waited for name to be called. She was so star stuck when she walked out there that she didn't even hear the first question.

"What?" Katniss looked at Caesar.

"Looks like someone is a bit nervous." Caesar laughed and so did the crowd. Katniss found Cinna in the crowd and kept her focus on him. "I said you made quite an entrance at the tribute parade the other day. Are the flames real?"

"Yes. Actually I have them on now. Would you like me to show you?" Katniss stood up and twirled around showing her flame dress off until she got dizzy and Caesar had to stand her up strait just to be able to get her to sit down.

"Wow that was amazing. Thanks for that. Now I only have one more question. I think we were all very moved by what you did for your sister. What did you say to her before you left?"

"I said I would try to win for her."

"And try you shall. Thank you so much Katniss. Here she is ladies and gentlemen Katniss Everdeen the girl on fire!" He held her hand up and showed her off before she left the stage. She walked off and Haymitch was standing there with Effie.

"You did great sweetheart." Haymitch said to her. Caesar was announcing Peeta Mellark in the background. "Love the dress too." He looked at her dress. Then he looked at Effie. "Not yours."

The three stood there and watched Peeta's interview. "So Peeta how are you enjoying your visit to the capitol?" Caesar asked.

"Well it's different." Peeta cracked a smile.

"What's so different?"

"Well the showers are weird." Peeta and Caesar both start giggling.

"What's different with the showers?" Caesar asked.

"Well let me ask you something. Do I smell like roses to you?" Caesar looked at him oddly, "Go ahead take a whiff."

Caesar did as he was told and smelled him, "Wait do I smell too?" Peeta leaned into Caesar and took a big whiff too.

"You smell much better than I do." Peeta laughed.

"Well I've lived here longer."

"That explains it then." They both leaned back in their chairs and started laughing.

"So tell me Peeta is there a special girl at home?"

"No there's no one for me there."

"I don't believe it. Do you believe it? Look at that face." He looked at the audience and asked them.

"Well there is one girl that I have had a crush on forever but I don't think she recognized me until the reaping." Peeta said.

"Well I tell you Peeta if you go out and win this game then when you go back home she will have to go out with you." Caesar was trying to get the crowd going. They applauded wildly.

"Yeah I don't think that is going to help me at all."

"Why's that?"

"Well the girl I have a crush on she came with me." Peeta spoke right into the camera and Katniss heart leaped in her chest. She was mad and happy at the same time.

"Now that's just bad luck." Caesar didn't know what else to say. He just looked down and then back at Peeta.

"Yeah it is."

"Well good luck to you Peeta. Everybody Peeta Mellark from district 12." The crowd applauded. It seemed everyone was confused as what to think about a tribute liking another tribute.

As Peeta walked down off the stage and towards Haymitch. Katniss rushed him and threw her arm into his throat. "What the fuck was that about?"

"Manners Katniss." Effie yelled at her while Haymitch tried to separate the two but Katniss threw him back.

"Is this what you have been not telling me? First you don't want to talk to me and now you have a crush on me. Man you are twisted! And on the night before the games. "She picked her arm up to punch him but Haymitch caught it and brought her away from the Peeta.

"Now knock it off. He did you a favor sweetheart." Haymitch said to her.

"He made me look weak."

"He made you look desirable. Which you need all the help you can get." Haymitch took her arm and started taking her back up to the penthouse. "Now I better separate you two before things get outta hand. Maybe I can still deliver the both of you to the games tomorrow."

"Remember you manners Katniss. Don't be disgraceful."

Back upstairs later in the evening the whole hotel was abuzz with the news of a special announcement before the games. Katniss and Peeta had already begun getting ready for bed that night, but was told not to go to sleep. Katniss figured she should go apologize to Peeta before she lost the chance forever. While Cinna, Portia, Haymitch, and Effie were watching the announcer on the screen she walked by them quietly. She walked into his room without knocking. He looked up from the spot by the window.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I had to come and see you." Katniss walked over and sat close to him.

"You sure you didn't come just to wail on me again. I understand if you do. What I did was wrong today. I tried to tell you before Haymitch came stomping in." Peeta looked back out to the Capitol people partying in the streets.

"I didn't come to hurt you. I wanted to apologize for how I behaved."

"Apology accepted. Now can you just leave me alone? I don't think it is a good idea if we hang out tonight."

"Why not?" Katniss looked out to all the people down below their hotel. "Am I keeping you from this?"

"No it's not that. But after my reveal on television I don't think Haymitch or Effie would like the fact that we are in the same room."

"Who the fuck cares about them? I don't. I care about the fact that tomorrow might be the last day that I walk this world." She put her head down to hide the tear starting to form in her eye. "If I am going to spend the last night with someone I would want it to be you. If you want me to spend it alone I will go, but it's up to you." A tear slid down her face and she wiped it away quickly.

Peeta saw her start crying and his heart leapt up in his chest. He gently put his hand under her chin and lifted her head up. "I would like nothing more than to spend the end of my life with you." He leaned in and as their lips met so did their passion for each other. It seemed to him that she started kissing him first and she was hungry for his lips. She moved over till she was sitting in his lap. Her arms moved around him to bring her closer to his muscled chest. He hugged her with a loving embrace. He started kissing down her necks in gentle pecks. He strayed at her collarbone and then returned to her beautiful lips. She moaned into him. She had never felt like this before. His lips felt so good to her she started feeling something in the pit of her stomach. She reached down and put her hands at his waist and tugged on his shirt as if asking permission to remove the garment. He lifted his arms up so she could pull the black fabric over his body. They broke from kissing for only a second. When they returned he grabbed the side of her face and passionately started kissing her again. She ran her hand over his well-defined back. She held her body close to his so she could feel him moving on her. He took his hands and ran them down her body and grabbed onto the light satin fabric. She lifted her arms up and he removed her shirt very slowly.

Her smile stretched on her face from ear to ear as she saw him study her body. "Do you like what you see?" She asked coyly.

"There are no words in my mouth to describe how much I like what I see." He smiled back at her. She reached for him again wrapping her body against his. He ran his hand up her torso until he got to her breasts. He alternated from massaging one breast to the other. She arched her back in response to the feeling he was giving her. She moaned his name softly as he pinched each nipple to tautness. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him into as close as she could be with clothes on. She leaned back until he body came to rest on the window sill. He ran his hands over her body and started kissing her stomach. "I love you Katniss." He said between kisses. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were shut but she heard him loud and clear. She sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"Peeta I love you." A tear came to her eye again. She never knew what love was. How could she when they lived where they lived. Every day was a struggle to stay alive. She brought his face to hers again for a softer kiss. With their eyes still locked she deepened the kiss. She took her free and went down the full length of his torso and rested on his pants. She rubbed his waist line and was daring to touch his most sensitive part.

Right then there was a loud knock at the door. "Peeta are you in there?" Haymitch called.

"Yeah I'm here. Please don't come in." Peeta grabbed for Katniss shirt and his. They got dressed and fixed themselves up.

"They are about to make the big announcement. Are you going to come listen?"

"Yeah I will be right out."

"Ok. Get Katniss too then." Haymitch didn't know that she was in the room with him. He just figured he could get Katniss because she was so grumpy with him most the time.

"You ready to go?" Peeta grabbed her hand and held it in his.

"I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you." She lifted his hand with hers and kissed the back of his knuckles.

"I want you to stay too. After they tell us whatever they are going to we can come back." Peeta smiled at her.

"Ok. I don't think we should hold hands out there though. I don't want them to question us. What are we going to do tomorrow?" She immediately had worry in her eyes.

"We will team up and figure something out. We don't need to worry about it right now though. Let's go. We don't want to miss the important announcement." He rolled his eyes and began to walk to the door. He turned to look at her one more time. "I really do love you." He leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I know you do. I love you too." Katniss smiled. They let go of each other's hands and walked out the door to the sitting room. Cinna, Effie, Haymitch and Peeta's stylist were all in there glued to the television listening to Caesar.

"There has been 1000 ladies and gentlemen taking in part a survey this morning. There has been some rule changes this year. President Snow and the game makers' council have decided that because the general public would like some rule changes they will be instilled tomorrow before the games begin." Everyone in the room looked puzzled. In all 73 Hunger games before there had never been any rule changes. Katniss and Peeta were standing behind everyone. They had never heard of a rule change before.

"The first change is the Game will start later in the day. Instead of the usual start in the morning it will now start at dusk. The second change is the tributes will be dropped in several locations instead of the usual pedestal beginning. Each District will be dropped together and work together as a team." Katniss looked at Peeta. A large smile broke out on his face. "Also both team members will be able to choose 2 items from the cornucopia before meeting the starting horn is blown. There will be no fighting during this time. Any fights during this time will be stopped by game makers. No other alliances will be allowed. The final game rule change is this year two tributes can be declared the winner as long as they are both from the same district. In the case that there is no teams left then a single winner will have to claim the title of champion. That's all the changes for this year's game. What do you think about these rule changes Claudius?" Caesar asked.

"I think it will be an interesting year. I really hope that it will still be as thrilling."

Effie turned off the television. "Oh my god this is amazing. Now you two can be a team which will be great because you both have different talents that will help each other out." Effie smiled from ear to ear. "This calls for a drink." She walked out of the room to get some champagne.

"I can't believe this. Why would the game makers make such a big change the night before the games?" Katniss asked out loud.

"Who cares? Now we won't have to kill each other and we can help each other." Peeta grabbed Katniss in a tight embrace. He realized that they weren't the only ones in the room and let her go. "Now we can work together."

"Now this is something not to take lightly. Maybe you two should get some rest. I will try to think of a new game plan because this is all new to us." Haymitch mushed them out of the room. He walked them to each of their rooms. "Now get some sleep." Katniss and Peeta went into their separate rooms. Katniss wanted to think about what this meant before she went to talk to Peeta.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry this Chapter took so long to write. Having a hard time writing in the hospital, but now things are getting better. Thank all of you for being patient with me. Enjoy and please review.

Chapter 6

The next hour was a blur. Katniss sat still at the edge of her bed. Everything that Katniss worried about in the games was now gone. She didn't have to worry about her having to face Peeta's family after this is all over because he was going to be able to win right along with her. She could go back to her family and everything could go back to the way that it used to be. She thought to herself for a while till there was a soft knock at the door. She thought it was Peeta, "Come In."

Haymitch walked through the door and closed it. Katniss didn't know it was him. So she had a startled look on her face. "Expecting someone else are we?" He giggled to himself.

"No why would I?" She spoke defiantly towards him.

"Now ease it up sweetheart. We are still fighting for the same team. Look I know we haven't gotten along since the beginning of this whole fiasco, but I want you to know that I am going to do anything in my powers to try and get you guys' sponsors. Now I don't know why the changes have been made this year, but I can tell you that they are only going to improve your odds. Now I know you have a problem with Peeta because of his declaration of love from earlier."

"You're wrong. I don't have a problem with Peeta. Things are different now." Katniss lowered her head.

"What do you mean different? Do you have feelings for him too?" Haymitch walked over to her and sat down next to her. "I mean if you do that's great. If you don't then that's ok too. You can tell me or not it's up to you."

"Well I have had thoughts about him for the longest of time. I don't know if he told you but a long time ago I was starving on the streets and for some reason I was sitting near the bakery in the pouring down rain. Peeta I guess had burned some bread so his mother was yelling at him to throw it to the pigs. He saw me sitting there and threw me an entire loaf of bread. It was what I needed to get back up and start going again. Since that day I have always thought about him. Now my thoughts have grown because for one we are in this horrible situation and for two I want to be with Peeta." Katniss looked up at Haymitch. "I can't believe that there are two winners this year and that we can work together. I think as team we could defiantly win." She smiled at him.

"Well that's good to think that way." He put his arm around her shoulder. "Now all we got to do is think of a way to always get sponsors when you two need it most. You have any idea what you are going to take at the cornucopia?"

"Well I figured a bow and something else." She laughed. Of course she would go for the bow.

"You have to probably pick the arrows too otherwise your bow won't be very useful." Haymitch laughed with Katniss. "Don't stress out about tomorrow. It's at least not going to start until midafternoon so get some rest ok. I'm going to think about what we will be able to do about where you start and small stuff like that." Haymitch stood up and as he walked out of the room he nodded his head down. "Have a good night."

Katniss was going to try and have a good night. She went to take a shower in her bathroom. She got in and let the water wash away all her troubles. She tried to clear her mind, but she could not stop thinking about Peeta. She really felt like she loved him, but she really didn't know if it was love or just fear. The things that he did to her body felt good and maybe that was why she had feeling for him. She was so confused and confusion pissed her off. She shut off the water and threw a towel around her dripping wet body. She had to talk to Peeta and get these messed up thoughts out of her head.

She walked out of her bathroom and strait to her bedroom door. She opened the door to see if anyone was in the suite but she didn't see anyone. She walked into his room quietly. He had his back to her and was watching the people outside. She walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Just then Seneca was doing a checkup on all the tributes to see how they handled the news. Every camera showed him pretty much the same thing. All the tributes had decided to go to sleep. Then he didn't see Katniss in her room and so when he switched it to Peeta's room he was very surprised to see Katniss standing in a towel. Obviously she was upset so he turned up the volume so he could hear what was going on.

"Just watching the people outside what are you up to…" As he turned around he cut off his own words. He was going to say something but his words were lost by her state of undress. Her towel was secured under her armpits and her hair was damp and clinging to her shoulders.He stood up to face her. "Why are you in a towel?"

"I have a problem. I don't know what I am feeling. I am so messed up and I blame you. You jerk!"

"Jerk? What did I do?" After what had happened before he was lost as to why she was now acting the way she was.

"You made me feel something for you because you had a plot in your mind to get sponsors. I don't believe that you did anything before that meant anything. I think you are just trying to clog my head and now that we can be on a team you don't want to come to my room and continue. You would just rather sit here and watch the stupid Capitol people dance in the streets. I was ready to give myself to you and it was just something to get me not to be focused on the games."

"I didn't do anything to cloud your mind about the games. I wasn't plotting on you. Wait you were going to give yourself to me?" He asked. His eyes were trained on her face trying to read past her anger.

"Of course you would focus just on that. Not the fact that I waited in my room for an hour for you to come and see me. When I finally thought you had got the nerve to knock on my door it was Haymitch. I was so mad that it wasn't you." She wanted to continue her rant but Peeta stepped to close for her comfort. He put his hands on her arms.

"Stop. Why are you acting like this?" He shook her slightly. "Haymitch was in here talking to me for an hour. Then he said he needed to talk to you too. That's why I didn't come right to you. What did you think I was waiting for?"

"I don't know what to think. I'm so frustrated and I'm fucking confused." She pushed his hands off of her arms. "Don't touch me. I just need to think. This isn't how it should be."

Peeta took a step back as to give her some space. He looked her over and noticed everything about her. He noticed the beads of water falling from her still wet hair. One small bead fell and he watch it slide down her skin. He followed it with his eyes as the bead of water grazed her breast until it finally hit the towel and was soaked up. He felt a stir in his pants. He was so turned on by her. He could smell the fresh rose smell from the showers and it was it was intoxicated. He could no longer take it anymore and he realized he had to have her. He quickly shortened the distance in between them. He pulled her against his body, wrapping his arms around her, and then he smashed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. He felt her tense against him and then slowly relax. She then put her hand up around his neck and returned the kiss with just as much fervor.

The kiss seemed to go on forever, in the good way. Katniss felt like she was floating, the things he could do with his tongue by only kissing her. Her hands went to his chest, fisting the material of his shirt and pulling him closer to her, kissing him more fiercely, more passionately until she thought she would explode. She felt his hands go to her lower back, also pulling her closer as he started to rub his erection against her towel-clad belly.

This was what she wanted. This is what she had been waiting for her entire life. She wanted to feel this alive for so long. She had always known she liked Peeta, maybe she had even fallen for him a long time ago, but she never knew the primal lust that lurked under her carefully constructed facade whenever he was around. She was ready now to stop all the stubbornness and mean tendencies to protect herself. She was ready to give herself to him.

She put her hands on his shoulders and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist as their tongues dueled. She heard him groan, then his breath quickened, coming out in short puffs through his nose. He wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. Perfect. She pulled away from his lips, throwing her head backward as she felt his hands slide up the outside of her soft thighs, cup her rounded ass, then pulled her against his cock. She had never felt the sensation that surged though her body. He kissed up and down her neck biting every so often. How bad he had wanted her for so long was now being released.

He pushed her against the glass window. They were too far up so no one could see what they were doing. He detached her legs from around his waist. He roughly pulled on the towel until it came undone and pooled on the floor. She stood there looking at him totally naked with damp skin. He looked at her body and admired the beauty that was in front of him. He leaned in slowly staring deeply into her eyes. He kissed her softly on the lips. She wanted to kiss him more but he gently lifted her up. He walked over to the bed and laid her gently on the end of it. He ran his hands up her soft body. His fingers danced down her stomach and then he slipped one finger into his mouth and wetted the tip of it. "I want you Katniss. I need you more then you know, but I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do." He ran his finger across her clit softly. She had never felt anything like it before. She was scared now because her mother had spoken about the first time she would be with a man and the pain that she would feel. She started to breath heavily. "You ok?"

"No. I'm nervous. I've never done this and I'm worried that it's going to hurt. I want this to be special and I'm messing it up." She turned her face away from him.

He grabbed her chin and made her face him, "You are not messing anything up. You are making this the best night of my life and I intend to do the same for you. If we have to go slow then we will go slowly. I will do anything it takes to make you feel comfortable." He leaned down and kissed her. He brought his finger up to his face and stopped kissing her only for a moment to wet the tip again. He gently rubbed her clit then slid his finger into her warm wet channel slowly. She arched her back in response. It felt so good to her. He rubbed inside of her and rubbed her clit with his thumb. She was becoming more wet by the second.

"I want you so bad Peeta." Katniss cooed at him. She blushed as she spoke which only turned Peeta on more. She grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and lifted it quickly over his head. She began to admire his muscled flesh with her hands. She was trying to touch every inch of him that she could. She made it to the top of his pants and started to try and pull them down, but Peeta stopped her.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Peeta asked with concern in his eyes. He took a step back and looked at her lying on his bed totally naked to his eyes. He felt like the luckiest guy on the planet.

"Yes I do. Please Peeta make love to me." The way that she looked at him was too much for Peeta. All thoughts about taking this slow went right out the window. He could see just how bad she wanted him. It was almost as bad as he wanted her. He slowly took down his pants. She gasped when she saw the sight of his large erected penis.

He lay on top of her not inside her yet and gently kissed her. She went deep into the kiss as he lifted her into high spirits. He placed the tip of his member at her entrance and he felt her stiffen up. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "Baby you have to loosen up a bit if you want me inside of you. I promise to go slow until you are ready." He ran his fingers through her hair and started kissing her cheek and working his way down to her neck. She began to relax with his touch. He slowly pushed just the tip of his hard member inside of her. For her it didn't hurt yet. She was confused because she thought it would hurt from the beginning. "Are you ready baby?" He kissed her softly on the lips than pulled back. He looked at her so he could see when he was hurting her too much. She nodded and bit her bottom lip. He slowly entered her and he felt her barrier at the tip of his member. He kissed her deeply and in one swift motion he broke through her barrier and buried his member to the hilt as he hugged her close. Peeta's eyes rolled to the back of his head at the feeling of finally being inside of her and the feeling of her surrounding him fully.

"Ahhhh." Katniss stopped kissing him while she let the pain crash over her. Peeta laid motionless on top of her allowing her time to adjust to his size. She breathed in and out until the pain had subsided. "Oh my god you are so big."

Peeta took that as a sign to continue. At first he slowly moved in and out of her. Making sure that he wasn't hurting her he kept trying to read her facial expressions. Katniss was the first to start moving. She slowly swiveling her hips, seeking friction. He took the hint. He pulled almost all the way out of her until only the tip of his large engorge member was inside of her, then leaned in to capture her lips as he rammed back in.

Shots of pleasure rushed through her body as he continued his pace exactly like that faster, harder and unbelievably amazing. She loved every second of it. She felt waves of pleasure rushing over her non-stop. She moaned with each thrust back into her core. She ran her fingernails up his back leaving little red trails in his skin. He enjoyed the little bit of pain from her scratching. He thrust harder into her while holding her firmly with his strong frame. She wrapped her legs around him trying to get him even deeper into her body. She wanted to feel all of him in every way.

They thrust against each other moaning at the pleasure they both felt when all of a sudden Katniss screamed her sudden release. Her hands went to the sheets of the bed and she was clenching her fists into the soft fabric. Peeta felt her walls constricting around his member and he almost came at the feeling of how good it was, but he concentrated to stave off his own orgasm so he could stay buried inside of her longer. He didn't know if this was going to be the first and last time they would get to have this happen to them, but he did want to get as much pleasure out of it as possible.

That thought suddenly made him furious. He started pounding into her faster and harder than before which took Katniss by surprise. He felt the need to be buried inside her to the hilt each time that he thrust into her. Katniss screamed his name over and over in pleasure. She could not believe how amazing him being inside of her felt. He slowed his speed to make this moment last as long as possible.

Peeta felt his release rapidly approaching. Katniss had just had another large orgasm and he wanted to make this time even more enjoyable. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began tugging on his hair. As he thrust into her warm center she could feel another orgasm on her horizon.

"Ahhh. Ohhh. Peeta, oh you feel so good." Her insides felt they were about to explode.

"Wait for me baby. I'm coming with you." With that said he again thrusting into her faster and harder than ever before. With each thrust he could feel that she was closer to her climax. As the wave of pleasure surrounded her the walls of her vagina clamped down around his member. He was ready to release into her and as he did he held her so close to his body. They both reached their climax together. Peeta lay on top of Katniss motionless. He could feel her grip around his body starting to fade. He lifted his face to kiss her ever so gently on the lips. "I love you Katniss Everdeen. I could die tomorrow a happy man for you giving me this wonderful night." Peeta's smile was from ear to ear. He was still panting because he was so out of breath.

"I love you too Peeta. You better not die tomorrow though. I will be very mad at you if we don't get to do this again." Her smile matched his perfectly.

He lifted off of her body and looked down at her stunning beauty. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Yes." She went to get up but Peeta scooped her up to fast that she couldn't. He held her in the air and positioned her at the head of his bed. With one strong arm he held her to his body and with the other he moved the sheets and blanket down so she could slide in. He then covered her with the blanket so she would not catch a chill.

"I'll be right back." He walked to his bathroom and closed the door. After he went to the bathroom he cleaned himself off. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. He walked back out to Katniss and got in on the other side of the bed. He held her close to his body and loved the way that it felt holding her in his arms to go to sleep. "Goodnight. My love." He leaned over and kissed her softly.

"Goodnight. My Peeta." Katniss closed her eyes and fell asleep rather quickly. Peeta laid there for a while pondering the meaning of her calling him 'Her Peeta'. He then realized there was much to do in the morning and he should get some rest before the big games. He closed his eyes and sleep quickly took him as well.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry this took me so long to write. It's been a crazy summer. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 7

Seneca turned off the monitor that was watching the two star crossed lovers make love for the first time. He was out of breath just watching the intensity of it all. He made a decision for the tributes sake that he would not tell anybody about what he just witnessed. He didn't want to jeopardize the games in any way. He quickly retired for the night to prepare for the games soon after.

It wasn't long till the hotel was buzzing again with the intensity rising about the games. Haymitch and Effie were discussing strategy over breakfast. It was getting late in the morning and Haymitch was getting antsy that Katniss and Peeta were not up yet.

"Should we wake them?" Haymitch asked.

"No they need their rest if they are going to be alert during the games. I just want them to perform their best. So what do you think about the new rules?" Effie was excited how things were changing this year.

"I think they will be beneficial but I think that the other tributes have other talents that they can also use against our guys." Haymitch took a sip of his coffee which this time had no alcohol in it whatsoever.

"That is true."

Inside Peeta's room Katniss was lying across of Peeta's chest. Peeta was awake and stroking her hair gently. He watched as the sun danced across her face.

Katniss began to stir and when she opened her eyes she felt like a new woman. She was even more confident than before. She looked up at Peeta and smiled at him.

"Good Morning." She leaned up and kissed him. "How long have you been awake?"

"Only a little while. I didn't want to disturb you so I figured I would let you sleep. Haymitch and Effie are already out in the dining room. I heard them talking."

"Well we better get going. How are we going to do this?" She sat up in the bed quickly.

"What do you mean?" Peeta looked at her with a question look on his face.

"I mean our mentor and escort are both out in the dining room talking. It's not like we can go out there at the same time. Do we tell people about us? Or do we keep it a secret?" Her mind was racing again. She couldn't control her thoughts and it looked as if Peeta was not bothered at all with their current situation. "What if the other tributes find out about our love? They could use it against us some how."

"Why do you worry so much? How bout we take it one step at a time. Like right now I'm going to go out and distract them so you can sneak into your room and get yourself cleaned up. Don't worry about everything. Just worry about what you can control. I figure we don't tell anyone right away. Wait till during the games. We might need to pull that card to get a sponsor or two. As of right now you should still be mad with me most of the time." He smiled coyly at her. He got up out of the bed and stretched fully. He was still naked and Katniss couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

"How about before you run off I take care of you one more time? We can be real quiet." She batted her long eyelashes at him and it seemed to work because he was now crawling back in bed.

After a little while Peeta came leisurely out of his room. He closed the door softly so Haymitch and Effie didn't hear him. He joined them at the table without a single word and began eating.

"Well good morning dear. All ready for the day?" Effie asked to happily. She then realized it and was instantly ashamed. She didn't want Peeta to get upset today of all days.

"I'm as ready as I am ever going to be. But it is a great morning." Peeta started grabbing food and putting it on his plate. Knowing they would maybe not get much to eat throughout this experience he figured he should have a full belly for the start.

Effie looked confused as to his chippy upbeat answer. No one noticed Katniss slipping into her room. She quickly got into the shower and washed herself down. She didn't wash her hair. As soon as she finished she threw her clothes on and walked out to join everyone else at the breakfast table. Effie turned to Katniss, "Did you get enough sleep?"

"Yes I think I may have overslept." She said with a laugh. She sat down at the table and started to fill her plate with food. She looked over to Peeta and saw that he was really packing away food and she thought that was a good idea. She grabbed eggs and meat to give her energy to burn and fruit to give her endurance. She bit down into a juicy peach and said "So what happens now?"

"Well after breakfast we will escort you to the arena you are fighting in and then we say good bye. The rest of the day is you two prepping yourselves for the start of the game." Haymitch looked at both of them and thought it was funny that they were both eating so much. "You know this won't be the last time you guys eat before the games. They are having an all you can eat buffet at the cornucopia for all the tributes to sit at and eat together. Since you two are from district 12 you will be at the very end of the table which is good since at the beginning of the table those two districts want you dead first. There will be no fighting during this time, but you never know what might happen."

"What's for dinner?" Peeta asked.

"Is that all you can think about Peeta?" Effie asked. "You know you are going to have more important things on your mind tonight."

"I know Effie. I don't want you to think that I don't care, but if I don't like what is being served I want to make sure to eat as much as I can right now. Not that I'm picky but maybe tonight I won't want to eat too much because I will be too nervous or scared. Believe me when I tell you I have a lot on my mind this morning." He looked up at Katniss with the last part of his very polite statement. Effie was in disbelief how he had turned around from previous conversations with him.

Katniss smiled with Peeta's small gesture. Haymitch caught both of them but decided not to mention it. "So have you decided what you two are going to take at the cornucopia? Or a strategy?" He quickly changed the subject.

"I know I'm taking the bow if they have one. If it doesn't come with arrows I'll take arrows too, but if it comes with arrows I will have to take something for warmth or something along those lines. My strategy since we can work together is that we find somewhere safe to hide out till we can devise a plan to take out the others. I still have a problem with killing someone, but I will have to get over that I guess." Katniss put her head down. She hated thinking about having to kill someone. Didn't matter who.

"How about you?" Haymitch looked at Peeta.

"Well I don't know about what I will take. Probably food and medicine in case one of us gets hurt."

"I think both of you are thinking strait. Keep it that way. Excuse me I have to go get ready." As he got up he slapped Peeta on the back. "Can I talk to you for a second Peeta?"

"Sure." He swallowed what was left in his mouth and followed Haymitch to the elevator.

"Now I know something has happened. You are in the best mood you have ever been in and Katniss is smiling. I'm not going to say anything about this to anyone but two things. Number one; congratulations because this can only improve your odds in the games and it looks like it means more than just getting out of this alive. Number two; make sure you use it at the proper moment. Don't let something slip during the games until you need it too. Remember you need the audience to survive. Go at it slow too milk it for all its worth. I'll sell it on the outside you just keep them thinking about you guys all the time and you will win this." Haymitch reached out and shook Peeta's hand. "It's not about individuals it's about a team. Be a team and work with each other no matter what." With that said Haymitch walked into the elevator and smiled one last time before the door closed. He thought to himself all the ways he could help these two. If they needed medicine or food he could convince anyone that they were watching the developing of a true love right on the cameras. This was almost going to be too easy.

Peeta walked back to the table and began eating again. "What was that all about Peeta?"

"Nothing Effie. Just guy talk you know how it is." He looked at Katniss, "So team mate you better not slow me down." He said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah is that how it is? Well if you can't keep up you might have to join your own district. District reject!" They laughed together as if nothing was taking place that day. Just a couple of teenagers enjoying life. This was all very confusing to Effie so she excused herself.

"Well I don't want to damper your good moods so I will be leaving too getting ready to take you two to the arena. I want to look my best. Just meet us downstairs in about two hours and we will be on our way. So nice to see you two getting along." Effie left quietly and the two teenagers didn't even comment about her departure until they knew for sure she was gone.

"You think she will come back?" Katniss asked Peeta coyly.

"No. But I do think that two hours is more than enough time to get ready." He guzzled the milk in his glass and slammed it back down onto the table when it was empty. "Do you want to help me get ready?"

Katniss finished her juice and stepped up from the table. Without saying a word she grabbed his hand and led him to her room. Her sheets were not as messy as his. She trailed him behind her and then brought him to stand in front of her bed. She dropped his hand only to walk to the door to shut it and to lock it just in case someone happened to come back in to the suite.

"I want you to know that you have completely worn me out from last night and this morning. I can't make love to you because I am tired. I need to save my strength for the games tonight. Though I want you just as badly as you want me I am going to do something that I think you will enjoy." She smiled at him. Her speech was strait forward and to the point. Peeta quivered with the thought as to what was going to happen next.

She pushed him back against her bed until his knees buckled and he was lying on the bed with his legs dangling off at the knee. She mounted him and grabbed the hem of his shirt. As his shirt was coming off he sat up to help her. She stopped when the shirt had his arms tied up around his head and only his mouth was showing of his face. The rest was covered but she could see the smile plastered on his face. She leaned in and kissed him fiercely as if to give her courage for what she was about to do. She had never done anything with a man before Peeta, but she wanted to try everything with him. She pulled away from his lips and pulled the shirt all the way off and threw it on the ground. She kissed his neck and collarbone leaving a wet trail of kissing down a path. The path continued as she went further down his chest. She kissed his abs and his body trembled as if he was about to explode. As she continued down a path she worked her hands to undo his pants and pull them off as well. His erect penis greeted her with anticipation.

"I see you are ready for me." She gave him the sexiest look that she could muster as she moistened her lips and mouth readying herself.

She stroked his member up and down familiarizing how he acted and what obviously felt good. He stared her down when it was good and he threw his head back when the pleasure was too intense and he didn't want to make this go too quick. She lowered her mouth to the head of his penis. She wrapped her mouth all the way around the head as she licked the tip with her mouth closed. He threw his head back. She pulled him back out and licked her lips again. This time when she lowered her mouth onto him she wanted to see how far she could go. Once again Peeta's head flew back. She pushed until her gag reflex pushed him back just a bit. Her gag reflex sent a surge of moisture to her mouth which helped lubricate his engorged member more. She went back to the tip of his penis rubbing her tongue along the way and went back down again as far as she could till her gag reflex kicked back in. She used the new moisture to glisten his penis with enough lube to be stroking him as well as sucking his member. He now sat up too get a better view of the pleasure his new love was giving him. He ran his fingers through her hair as she went down nearly to the base of his penis. When her gag reflex kicked in this time he grabbed both sides of her head and pushed down a little bit more before pulling her off quickly to get air.

"Oh my that felt good even for me the way you took control of what I was doing." She smiled as she took in much needed oxygen.

"You are so amazing. Everything you are doing to me right now feels so good."

"Good cause I'm not done. I'm going to make you scream MY name this time." She grabbed his member again this time more aggressive. She pushed her mouth down again as far as she could while caressing his thigh with her other hand. "Oh yeah baby. Just like that."

Peeta grabbed her hair and twisted it around his hand. It pulled on her scalp but Katniss was enjoying the slight pain with his pleasure. She was becoming very horny as she kept going up on down on his throbbing member. He pulled her hair a bit making him take control and began moving her mouth on him faster and faster. He pushed her down onto the base of him member. She now had all of him in her mouth. She felt like her gag reflex was going to give in just when Peeta pulled her off again. She took in the air and quickly returned to his penis. She wasn't going to let him win this time. She began sucking him harder and stroking him harder. He may be trying to control her but she was pushing back on her own hair just to please him more. His penis began throbbing more and Peeta was letting out little cries and groans. Katniss wouldn't stop this time until he exploded into her mouth.

Peeta let go of her head and threw himself back on to the mattress. "Oh God. Katniss. Slow down. I'm not ready to stop. Oh please. Oh God. Oh yes. Ah Katniss ah ah Katniss ah ah oh oh right there oh my Katniss oh oh oh yes please don't stop." He continued and almost tried to not cum into her mouth, but she was too intense for him now. "YES KATNISS Ah oh oh" His hot cum struck the back of her throat. It was salty in taste but she enjoyed the feeling of making him release into her. He was quieter now that he had climaxed but she continued licking off all the salty goodness until he started to become softer. His groans continued as he caught his breath. She got up and walked to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw her hair completely messed up which made her smile. She washed her face a bit and fixed her hair. She walked back out to her bed and took a glass of water from the nightstand and took a gulp to wash down any remnants of Peeta's seed. She looked at the man that was still trying to catch his breath after all of that and smiled. He looked at her and smiled back. "Oh my god. I have no words to describe how I feel right now." He sat up and turned towards her. "Come over here and kiss me!"

She obliged and kissed him passionately. At that moment they both knew that they were going to do anything to win these Hunger Games just to be together.


	8. Chapter 8

**Please review! Reviews feed my inspiration to write more.**

Chapter 8

Katniss got up and straightened up her hair. Peeta stood up and began redressing himself. He had a smile plastered on his face. Never in his whole life had he felt more alive.

"Why are you smiling?" Katniss asked. "You know you can't go downstairs looking like that."

"Oh yes I can. Might help us get some sponsors. I am only smiling because you made me so happy. You have no one to blame but yourself." Katniss walked to her and pushed her hair back behind her ear. "I'm also smiling because I love you." He gave a sweet simple kiss on her lips.

Downstairs Haymitch was pacing back and forth. "Where are those two? Didn't you tell them to be ready in two hours?"

"I did. I told them to meet us down here. Some of the tributes have already arrived. Go get them Haymitch. I am tired of waiting." Effie pointed at the elevators as if Haymitch didn't understand her.

"Look lady I am not one of your attendants. I don't need to be told what to do." He stepped in real close to her. "Now ask me nicely and we will see if I will listen."

She looked up at him as though she was afraid. "Would you please go check on our tributes Haymitch? I don't want them to be the last ones to arrive. It could look bad for them."

"I will." He walked over to the elevators. It was on its way down so he didn't have to reach for the button. When the doors opened to his surprise Katniss and Peeta where all dressed and ready to go. "Well there you are. You were late making Effie all worried about your image."

"Who cares about our image? Tell Effie to just worry about her head being lopsided. We are going to the ship we don't want to be paraded around in front of the cameras anymore then we already have." Katniss spoke sternly to Haymitch.

"Well there is the Katniss that we have all grown to love." Haymitch giggled. "Well I am coming with you two. Let me go give your message to Effie and I will meet you there."

"I didn't know you were coming." Peeta said.

"Yes. Part of the fine print I guess. We mentors get a map of the arena and we will be picking out where you start. Also we get to give you a final piece of advice before they start the games. Just wait for me there." Haymitch turned around and walked towards Effie. He obviously gave her Katniss' message because she immediately adjusted her hair. Katniss giggled under her breath and then the two tributes continued to the ship.

On board with half the other tributes and their mentors a woman was walking around pushing a large needle into the tributes arms. When she got to Katniss she asked, "What is that?"

"It's your tracker." There is hit Katniss. They were getting so close to the start. Fear spread onto her face and Peeta noticed. He wished he could console her, but not in front of everyone. The lady walked to him. "Give me your arm."

"My arms are sensitive. Would you put mine in my ass?" Peeta cracked a fun joke which eased Katniss. She even half smile.

"No. Give me your arm." She held out her hand expecting him to give him his arm.

"Let me jab that big needle in you first then I'll give you my arm." Peeta was making a couple of the tributes laugh. Haymitch walked on board and herd his banter with the woman.

"That's enough Peeta. Let the woman do her job." He sat down next to Katniss which was the last empty seat.

Peeta lifted his arm up. "I guess you win." He smiled at her. She thought his antics were funny now that she thought about them. She smiled back at him and then retreated out of the ship.

Katniss held the smile in that was creeping to her face. 'Game face Kat you have to have your game face on. Everyone is staring at you to see what you are going to do. You're the highest ranked person on this ship and you need to be strong.' She said to herself. "Haymitch are we going to be going last to the cornucopia and to our starting spot? We are always last for everything."

"Actually everyone will be at the cornucopia at the same time. If someone starts a fight there they will be disqualified immediately and we all know what that means. Then I will take you to where you will be starting." Haymitch sounded almost happy that everything was going the way it was. "You guys are lucky to be able to play off of each other. You're going to do fine. Now let's simmer down and we will discuss when we land. I hate riding in this ship again."

As the ship lifted off Katniss felt a lunge in her stomach. The pull off of the ship was making her queasy. She just tried to stay focused. Thinking about all her training that she did with Haymitch wasn't helping because it made her think of Peeta. She couldn't stop the smile creep up to her face, but just as fast as she realized that it had appeared she made it disappear. She hoped no one had seen it. She looked across the ship and saw Cato. He was staring at her intently and had a smirk plastered on his face. 'Shit he must had seen me smile. What are you worried about anyway he doesn't know why you are smiling. What if he does?' She couldn't help but think about the possibilities of losing Peeta.

Soon they were off loading next to the cornucopia. There was everything that they needed to survive the next few days. They formed twelve small groups; each of the mentors with their tributes.

"Attention tributes. Attention. You will now go to the cornucopia and pick two items. Do not take more than that or you will be disqualified. There will be no fighting during this time that you choose your items or you will be disqualified. After you draw your two items you will follow your mentors to your starting point. You will stay there until the start of the 74th Hunger Games. If you leave your start point before the start you will be disqualified. For the punishment for disqualification is death. Good luck and Happy Hunger Games. May the odds ever be in your favor." The announcer spoke the new starting rules and the tributes stepped forward to the cornucopia to draw their items.

Immediately Katniss went for the first bow she saw. The quiver was slung over it so she guessed that it came with the bow. She also grabbed a backpack that looked to be full of something. She would have to figure out what was in there later. Now was not the time. Peeta grabbed another backpack and a double headed axe. They walked back toward Haymitch. Haymitch said nothing to them as he turned around and began to walk strait out of the clearing.

At the edge of the clearing Katniss stopped to look back at everyone. They were still picking and choosing items. Cato and Clove were now walking with their mentor off in the other direction that Peeta and Katniss were headed. "At least we won't have to deal with those two right away." Katniss gestured to Peeta.

"We will soon enough. Let's hurry and get there so we can get through this." Peeta continued following Haymitch. Katniss took a deep breath and started walking again. She studied everything in the trees trying to remember exactly where everything was. She wanted to be able to make it back to the cornucopia in case of some dire need that they needed food because it would be there. At least it had been for every other Hunger Games that she had seen. As they continued to march forward Haymitch stayed very quiet not saying anything. Finally they came to the river and he turned around to face them.

"Now this is the river. You will need to get water here." Haymitch said in a funny tone. "I picked this spot because it has a great view. Look across the river and you will see that gully. In there you will find a cave that you guys can hide out in. Cook a fire, get warm, whatever you need to do to survive. The smoke will rise to the top of the cave and stay there instead of showing your position to anyone. Make sure no one sees you go in otherwise that could be dangerous. Don't ask how I know that there is a cave over there. Believe me when I say it's not important. What is important is that you two make it back alive. Now I have to be heading back. Any last questions?"

"No, but thanks for everything." Peeta extended his hand to shake Haymitch's. Haymitch shook his hand and smiled halfway.

"Don't thank me till you come back alive. Do everything that you need to survive. Now I know it will be hard to take someone's life, but you can't just camp out till everything is over. Remember that. Surviving is your only job." Haymitch walked through the two of them and gave them a last pat on the back. He turned back to them as he continued to walk backwards away. "If I could bet I would bet on you two. Good luck!" He turned back around and walked away.

Katniss put her head down. She may have not always liked everything that Haymitch had to say, but she knew he only did what he thought was necessary to make sure that they survived.

"So we have to stay here until it starts?" Peeta asked.

"Guess so. I guess Haymitch wasn't allowed to take us any farther. So what's your plan?" Katniss asked.

"You're asking me? You're the one that scored higher than anyone else. I think you're the plan maker."

"Ok your right." She smiled again. Peeta looked at her natural beauty when she smiled. He wished he could be kissing her right now, but that probably wouldn't go over with Katniss right now. The capitol and everyone back home was now watching them. "So as soon as the countdown is over we are headed right over where Haymitch said to go. We will put our stuff in there and prepare for a long night. If no one can see us we will be safe."

"Remember what Haymitch said. We have to kill or be killed in this game. They aren't just going to let us sit the games out."

"You think I don't know that Peeta! Well you're wrong I do! I know that we should take the first night and get used to our surroundings. I'm sorry I snapped I'm just on edge. I'm sorry." Katniss felt bad that she just yelled at Peeta. 'Why couldn't things be as they were only a few hours ago when they were lying together?' She thought. They sat in perfect silence and listened to the noises around them. A butterfly flew down to Katniss and landed on her finger. She smiled as it flew away. 'Oh how I wish I was home in my trees and not here.'

"50…49…48…47…46…" The countdown had finally started. The announcer kept counting down as Peeta and Katniss readied themselves for a wet walk across the river. "3…2…1…" The horn blared to the point of pain in their ears. They quickly ran down the river bed to see where they could cross. There was a small stretch where it was narrow enough that they could almost jump from one rock to the other.

Peeta ran over the rock and sprung like it was nothing. Katniss followed almost as graceful. They ran up to the gully but couldn't see a gully. "Looks like that drunk couldn't find a way out of a wet paper bag." Peeta half laughed with sarcasm. "What do we do now?"

"It has to be here. If Haymitch said it was then it is. Come on let's look around." Katniss starting walking along one side of the gully and Peeta walked on the other side. On either side were large rock formations.

"I don't see anything Katniss and we don't know where the others are." Two cannons fired in the distance which was the familiar sound of a tribute dying. "We have to go they can be anywhere." Peeta ran over to her and grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me!" She threw his arm off of her. "If you want to go then just go I'm going to stay here and look around till I find it."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Peeta asked.

Katniss ignored him and continued her search. "It's probably hidden so that no one else can see it." Just then she spotted a shadow behind one large rock. She closed the distance quickly. It was behind another large boulder so only someone looking for it would see it. "Patience Peeta here we are." She slid in the cavern and it went down about 20 feet. At the base there was a ten foot area that was open. The far wall had another narrow hole.

"Where the hell does that lead?" Peeta could barely see in the dark cave. "We need a light. You have anything in your bag?" Peeta opened his bag and started going through it. He had a bed roll attached to his bag. Inside there was a first aid kit marked bag. He opened it. There was burn gel, some kind of healing ointment and a small knife.

Katniss put her bag down and opened it. There was a snare string, a thermal blanket, a water canteen, a large line of rope, some matches and a pack of 7 candles. "Here is a candle!" She handed him a candle and the matches.

Peeta lit the candle and walked down the narrow space in the wall. After about 10 feet there was larger area that even had a small fresh water spring bubbling up in one area. "Katniss come back here. This is big enough for us to make camp."

Katniss followed his voice. She could barely see him. The path was so narrow she had to squeeze sideways to get through. On the other side Peeta was already laying out his bed roll so they had a soft place to sit.

"So what are we going to do now?" Peeta asked. He put the candle up on a ledge to give the whole area light.

"Well we should conserve our candles. I don't think anyone will look for us here so Haymitch found us a nice place." He looked around the room. "So you think that there are cameras in here?"

"Yeah they probably have them all over the place watching our every move." Katniss was right. Everyone outside of the arena was watching them. They were the most watched tributes in the games. "Tomorrow when we go out we will pack light. We will come back here as we need, but let's stay in this general area for now. Let the other's come to us. This is so strange being on teams. What do you think the others are doing?"

"Who cares what they are doing. Let's worry about us. So I vote for us going to sleep and getting a head start early in the morning. What do you think?" Peeta suggested.

"I think that is a good idea. Let me grab some water in my canteen quick." She got up and filled her canteen from the small water spring in their cave. She took a small sip to test it and it tasted great. Her second drink finished the bottle. She refilled her bottle then offered it to Peeta. "Need a drink?"

"I'm good for now." Peeta grabbed the thermal blanket from Katniss' bag. He laid his bag down like a make shift pillow and laid out the blanket. Katniss blew out the candle and lay down next to Peeta.

"You think they can hear us?" Peeta whispered.

"Maybe. Let's just go to sleep." Katniss laid her head against Peeta's chest.

Katniss and Peeta laid there silently for a few hours. Peeta could tell that the sun had gone down because it had gotten chillier. He heard a cannon go off in the distance. Someone had met an untimely death which made him sigh with relief that at least this year he could be fighting with the woman he loved.

** Back at the capital Seneca was trying to keep tabs on all the tributes. He knew where Katniss and Peeta were but he wasn't showing them on purpose. He knew that they might be doing something that they wouldn't appreciate to show on the games. 'Too early in the games to reveal them like that. Maybe when we need more ratings we will, but as for now they can have their peace and quiet.' Seneca thought to himself. Right now he was showing the victory party that the tributes from 1 and 2 were having. They seemed to have teamed up for now and that seemed to be alright since President Snow wanted either of those two pairs to win. 'As long as Snow doesn't complain I'm not going to bother splitting them up.' The alliance between the two teams would be devastating to the rest of the tributes. As it already was for the boy from District 5; the girl seemed to get away but he was taken from the games brutally by Cato. He was keeping the monitors on the killer tributes. They were hunting the rest of the tributes and finally caught the two tributes from 5 off guard. The girl also known as Foxface ran as fast as she could past Marvel. He threw a spear at her as she ran by but missed completely. Clove sliced the boy from 5's Achilles tendon so he could not walk. She was very accurate with her throwing knives. Cato and Marvel played with the tribute from 5 for a while each taking turns punching him in the face. Finally Glimmer had seen enough and told the boys to cut it out so they could continue on. 'One thing about those tributes is they seemed to be making the show more interesting.' Seneca snickered under his breath. He took another glance at the monitor fixed on Katniss and Peeta. He could easily turn on the camera to night vision so he could see what they were doing, but he was pretty sure he was the only one that knew. **

Peeta pulled the blanket more over on Katniss so she would not be chilly. Katniss felt his movements and adjusted in his arms. "Peeta?"

"Yes?"

"Are you still awake?"

" Would I be able to answer you if I was asleep?" Peeta giggled at her. "What's the matter?"

"I just feel like we are being watched and it's creeping me out. I can't relax enough to fall asleep."

Peeta wrapped his arms around her tightly. "You're safe with me." He leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips. He broke away and whispered in her ear very softly, "I love you Katniss."

These four words always had an effect on Katniss. She started kissing him on his neck and continued to his lips. "I love you Peeta." The night was going to be long but they would steal these moments when they could as often as they could. After they stopped kissing Katniss leaned into Peeta's chest and wrapped her arm around him and held him close. "I think I can sleep now." She said with a smile.

"Mission Accomplished then. Goodnight Katniss."

"Night." Katniss was soon asleep and Peeta was quickly asleep too.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter9

The next day Katniss and Peeta went out of camp to try and find some food. It wasn't light enough to really see anything, but their eyes were adjusting. They left most everything at the camp except things they may need during the day. Peeta had the pack on his back with the snare wire, rope, canteen, and a knife. Katniss had her bow down at her side with an arrow already prepared just in case they came upon any tributes.

Katniss and Peeta set a few traps on the trail from their cave. Katniss smiled when she thought about 'Their cave.' They crossed the river and cautiously walked through the thick forest.

Peeta stopped dead in his tracks which made Katniss also come to a fast halt. They could hear voices in the distance. Peeta walked slower and they came upon the tributes from seven. They were talking to loud which was always dangerous. The other tributes had not heard Katniss and Peeta approach. Peeta mouthed the words to Katniss 'We need to take them out'

Katniss shook her head to the negative. Peeta grabbed her arm and led her a little ways away just far enough that the tributes from seven could not hear them. Peeta whispered "We have to Katniss. Remember what Haymitch said. We don't have a choice."

"I can't take a life that is not threatening mine." Katniss turned to walk away but Peeta stopped her.

"Give me your bow. I will do it then." Peeta reached for the bow, but Katniss once again was being defiant and did not give it to him. "Katniss I will give it right back."

"No. We don't have to kill them. Let's just walk away. Someone else will find them and kill them. We don't have too. I don't want either of us to have a guilty conscience about this in the future. Are you going to be able to sleep at night if you do this?"

"Yes I will. I know in my head and my heart that this is survival of the fittest. I might walk in there with this knife and one of them might take my life, but I might make it out alright. Give me your bow and I might have better odds. Like it or not we are in this terrible game and we have to kill or be killed." He walked back towards the tributes from seven. Katniss couldn't handle the thought of him being killed, but she couldn't stand by and watch him kill someone else. She turned around and walked back towards the cave.

Peeta turned and watched Katniss walk away. A tear tore at his left eye, but he did not shed it. 'How can she not understand how important this is? Now I'm on my own. So much for loving me.' His hands starting trembling and he could shake it away. He stood behind a large bush this time listening to where the tributes were in their camp. He looked at his shaking hand and turned his head to the sky. 'Let me make it through this please.' He ran in as fast as he could. He charged the boy first quickly disarming him and stabbing him in the chest. As the boy fell to the ground onto his face Peeta withdrew the knife. The girl ran up on him with a small sword and sliced his arm from behind. He turned around and this time when she swung at him he grabbed her wrist. She started screaming when he through her back onto the ground. He now had a larger sword then his knife. She got up to run away and he threw the small knife into her back which threw her into the ground again. She was now crying hysterically and she could not move for he had cut her spine. He pulled the knife from her back and it gushed with blood. He rolled her over on her back and leaned down to her face. "I'm so sorry to have to do this to you."

She smiled a soft smile. "Had to be one of us I guess. Just finish me please. It hurts too much." She closed her eyes not wanting to see what was coming.

"May you find peace." Peeta felt so sorry to have to take someone's life, but they all had to do it because it's the Hunger Games. If only there were no Hunger Games anymore. He lifted her neck and twisted it fast. He heard the snap and laid her head back down on the ground. He got up and checked to make sure the boy was also dead. He rolled him over and checked for a pulse. He could not feel anything. He got up and started scavenging the camp for supplies. A cannon thundered in the distance followed by a second.

Katniss heard the cannon and thought the worst. She ran back to their cave as fast as she could. Tears started streaming down her face. As she entered it she heard the second cannon sound as well. She went in the second little area threw down her bow and laid down on the pad. She covered herself as she began to cry. 'I should have gone with him. Oh please no. He can't die on me. Why am I so stubborn?' She cried into the blanket so no one could hear her loud sobs. She didn't know if he was dead or alive or injured.

Peeta was finishing putting his new items in the pack. He found a folding shovel, a pocket chainsaw in a pouch so it wouldn't cut anything else, a large two person sized sleeping bag, five sting/bite ointment packs, one large bandage, a double headed axe and three land mines. Where they thought that they would need land minds in this game was beyond Peeta's knowledge. Obviously these two tributes had something in mind. He quickly used a large bandage for his arm and stopped the bleeding. It wasn't that deep of a cut which he was thankful for. He started walking back towards his camp when he spotted some large open flowers. 'I can't just leave those tributes like that.' He grabbed a few flowers and walked back to the two bodies. He first positioned them together and fixed the girls hair so it wasn't strewn across her face. He then took their hands and folded them on their chest. He laid the flowers in their hands and bowed his head down and said a small prayer. He turned to walk away and thought about the two tributes that were lying on the cold ground. Their families and friends would never see them again and he was the one that took their lives.

He walked back towards the camp because that's where Katniss would be. He heard laughing and playful screaming. He ran up the nearest tree he could find. He climbed far enough up he could see everything below him. It was the tributes from one and two. Obviously they were in an elite group together, 'That's un-fucking fair. Why do they get to partner up?' They were walking towards where the other two fallen tributes were lying on the ground. When they got there he heard them start laughing hysterically.

"What's with the flowers? Someone must feel guilty killing these poor saps." Marvel laughed. "Who you think it was?"

"Who cares who it was? Two down lots more to go." Cato started going through their gear but couldn't find anything useful.

Glimmer looked down and saw the flowers in their hands. "Why would someone put flowers in their hands?" It was really bothering her because the girl reminded her of her sister when they buried her they put flowers in her hands. She died during training because she had fallen and broken her neck.

"Don't worry about it Glimmer. They did it because they are weak." Clove said as she started walking away. "Don't mean anything. Probably the 12's had something to do with it." She walked right under Peeta. He wished right now he had Katniss' bow. Clove looked down and saw another set of tracks with the ones that they found in the makeshift camp. "Look there is two of them, but only one went in to kill those two. They are leading towards the river. Let's go maybe we can catch up with them." They all started running off towards the river.

As Peeta saw the last one run out of sight he let out a sigh of relief. 'At least they won't be able to track us across the river.' Katniss and Peeta walked quite a distance to be able to keep their tracks not directly near their cave. For now though he would not be able to go anywhere because they were so close. He would have to wait for the cover of darkness before returning to Katniss. 'She will be so worried, but if she was with me before we wouldn't be separated right now.'

Katniss stayed in the cave for what seemed like days to her. She couldn't stand that Peeta had not returned to her. She thought to herself, 'I killed him. I didn't go with him to back him up and now he is gone.' She lay on the floor until finally she could see that the sun had gone down. Her stomach rumbled with an emptiness that hurt her insides. She wanted to leave to try and find some food, but knowing the one person she should have never let down was gone was too much to bear. She started remembering everything about him. The first kiss, the first time they made love, and the first time they said 'I love you'. She could not stop the smile that crept across her face. She then heard a cannon shot which startled her. Her heart was racing and the smile had fallen from her face. She heard the sound of the second cannon and again started crying.

Seneca watched from his bedchamber the screens with the tributes on them. He watched as Peeta climbed down the tree slowly thinking that he was safe to go back to Katniss. He saw the tributes from nine trying to sneak up on Peeta. He switched the live action from the elite tributes to Peeta. The boy went to slice Peeta but he was moving too fast. He cut down his thigh and Peeta fell over in pain. He grabbed the axe that strapped to his hip and rolled over and threw it into the boy. It struck his mark and the boy with the sword fell down backwards. The girl grabbed the sword and ran towards Peeta. Peeta ducked out of the way but fell to the ground because his leg was in so much pain. The girl jumped on top of him and tried to plunge the sword through Peeta's chest. He held her arms tightly so she could not kill him. He pushed her off of him and the sword went flying into the stream. The girl ran after the sword and was desperately trying to find it in the rushing water in complete darkness. Peeta ran to the lifeless body of the boy from nine and took the axe out and limped to the girl. She was still frantically trying to find the sword when Peeta grabbed her from behind and sliced her throat. She died in his arms and he gently laid her on the ground. He walked into the river and let the water run over his cut leg. It felt better than it did a moment ago. He washed the blood off of the axe that was in his hand and strapped it back to his thigh. As he stepped out he stumbled over the sword in the water. He lifted it out of the water and stepped on shore. He dragged the girl's body next to the boys again. He took the scabbard off of the boy and put it on himself. He put the sword away. There were no flowers around but he still bowed his head in small prayer for the two people he had just killed. The boy was much younger then he was so he instantly started to cry as he walked away. Seneca watched as Peeta crossed the river easily and was now limping down stream as fast as he could. He knew he was trying desperately to get back to Katniss. He thought again if he should show it on live action or not, but he thought if he did President Snow would be furious.

As Peeta entered the cave Katniss jumped up and blew out the candle. She heard the footsteps coming closer and closer to her. She was ready to kill anyone that stepped through that corridor since her bow was drawn and aimed at mid cave level to be sure to strike anyone down that came through.

At last she could hear the person making their way through and could hear them breathing.

"Katniss? You here?" Peeta whispered.

"Oh my god Peeta." She threw her bow down as he came all the way through. She rushed over to him and jumped into his arms. Peeta winced in pain. She heard his small whimper and got off of him quickly. She ran over and lit a candle so she could inspect him. She saw the blood he was trailing through the cave until he came to rest. "What happened to you Peeta?"

"I was caught trying to cross the river by the boy and girl from nine. They attacked me from behind and cut my leg. Would you grab the first aid kit?"

She opened up the pack and got out the healing ointment in the bag. "Take your pants off so I can get it all." Peeta pulled his pants off and rolled over on the floor onto his stomach so Katniss could first clean him up and second address the wound. "You know if you wouldn't have left me in the first place and stayed with me in the cave this wouldn't have happened." She applied the ointment gingerly but had to use all of it because it was a large slice up his right thigh.

Peeta rolled his eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with Katniss about this. "You know if… Never mind."

"What?" Katniss asked. She cut a strip out of the thermal blanket to wrap around his wound.

"Nothing."

"Don't pull that crap with me Peeta. Tell me what is wrong." She was getting mad at him. "Why did it take you so long to get back here? What did you get lost?!"

Peeta rolled over to face her. "Just stop Katniss! If I would have stayed here the game makers might kill us soon. We have to fight! If you would have come with me we wouldn't have been separated in the first place. You were too weak though to take someone else's life. This isn't home. This is the worst place to be in the world and its fight or die here! I had to wait till it was dark to come back here because the river bank was being watched by the careers from both one and two. I killed four people today. You think I wanted to do that alone. No I didn't, but I had to; to be able to survive this terrible place. You shouldn't have left me not the other way around!" After Peeta had yelled at her he immediately wanted to put the words back in his mouth.

"You think I'm weak?" Katniss glared down at him.

"After all of that and that's the only thing you picked up on. You shouldn't have left me Katniss. I could have died! I thought you loved me."

"I did until you called me weak." She gathered her bow and her tattered blanket. She threw the blanket into her pack and slung it up onto her shoulders.

"Don't leave. Where would you go?"

"I don't think it matters. The farther I am away from you the better. I am not weak. Remember this Peeta Mallark I scored an 11 during the trials you scored a meek 8. Who is weak?"

"You may be a better shot then I am or anybody in this entire competition, but you are having a hard time to face the fact that this is not a game it's life or death. You choose what you want to be at the end. I'm sorry I said you were weak. It came out wrong, but I didn't want to do this alone." Peeta stood up and pulled up his pants. He walked towards her and tried to reach out to hug her.

"Get away from me." She stormed out of the camp.

Peeta knew he had said the wrong thing but Katniss was too stubborn. He sat down and decided that he would sleep for a little bit. He had to leave before dawn because of the blood trail that he left behind he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to stay.

Katniss ran as far and as fast as she could. She ran so far that there wasn't another tribute within a mile from her. Katniss climbed up into a tree and used her rope from her pack to tie her up into the tree. She threw the thermal blanket over her as she cried to herself silently. She was so mad but also relieved at the same time that he was alright.


	10. Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

The next morning Peeta woke up and walked out of the cave. There was an evening rain so the blood trail that he left last night had washed away. 'What luck I have sometimes.' He chuckled to himself as he went out and checked the trap lines. All but one had game in it. He took the rabbit and squirrels to the river and cleaned them out. He tied them up to a log in the water to keep them cool. He wasn't going to eat till he found Katniss. He looked north and saw a fire on the canyons ridge. He began walking towards the fire thinking that maybe Katniss may be in danger.

Katniss was still asleep in the tree when she smelled smoke. She looked next to her and saw the flames. She untied herself and quickly jumped down the tree. She began running as fast as she could but it seemed no matter how hard she tried to get away from the flames they were still in front of her. A fireball flew towards her and she tried to jump out of the way. It hit the rock next to her and exploded. Some of the flames caught her pants on fire and she quickly hit the flames till they were out. She looked at her leg and it wasn't burnt badly but the pain was intense and when she looked up another fireball was headed straight for her. She moved quickly out of the way but as she ran away from the flames her leg seared in pain.

Peeta saw her running and ran to her. "Katniss!"

"Peeta!" She ran to his arms, but the flames kept coming. They quickly turned down the path that Peeta had come from. Peeta did not notice that Katniss was limping. "Peeta I'm so sorry. I was stupid."

"Let's just get back to the cave. Come on let's go." Peeta said as he ran as fast as Katniss could. He held Katniss' hand tight as they ran up to the river. Peeta released her hand to walk across a log that was a make shift bridge. He went across easily and turned around to Katniss and said, "Come on it's safe."

Katniss right leg was very tender. As she crossed it pulsed in pain and as she tried to keep her balance across the log but her leg gave out to the pain and she fell face down into the water. The water was fast in this part of the river and the rapids quickly moved Katniss into the middle of the river. Katniss kept her head above water trying to stay calm and catch her breath. Peeta tried to catch up to her but the current was too fast. He soon lost sight of her as she went around the river's bend. She tried to swim towards the soft river bed to rest upon and instead as she reached out for a branch she smashed her head against a large boulder.

'Oh no. I'm going to die here,' Was the last thought in her head before her vision went black.

Further down the river Cato and Clove were finishing off a tribute from three. They had grown tired of torturing him and finally Cato slit his throat. They tortured him for hours trying to get the location of the girl from his district but nothing had worked. The cannon fired in the distance marking his death and they smiled at each other.

"For now she is safe till we find that little bitch." Clove laughed. She pushed his limp body in the river and when she looked up she saw something floating down the river north of her. "What's that?" She pointed in the direction of the object.

"Fuck if I know. Let's go before I get hungry."

"Wait it looks like a body. The only cannon fire today was the one that we just finished." Clove was right in that aspect. There was a fire to the north which she didn't understand why there was one, but something human like was floating towards them. "Just wait one second." As soon as she saw the black wavy hair in the water she instantly knew who it was. "It's that bitch from twelve!"

Katniss' limp body was face up in the water and she was slowly drifting towards the edge. Clove ran into the water waist deep to keep her from going down stream any farther.

"Is she dead?" Cato asked.

"I think she is alive, but she's bleeding really bad out of her head." She said as she inspected the gash in her head.

"What are you waiting for. Kill her!" Cato rushed into the water as well and raised his sword to strike her though the chest.

"No. Cato. I need another toy to play with." She laughed evilly. "We can torture her like we did with the others. We can find the boy from twelve if she talks."

"Who cares where he is. She is the one that scored the highest and it didn't work with the last one. Let's just kill her now."

"It may have not worked with the boy from three, but it did work at the start of the games with the boy from ten. As soon as he started he gave up the location of the girl. And isn't this a game to kill everyone. We want to be the last ones standing. We can torture her for a while and if she doesn't say anything good we will just kill her flat out. OK?" She laughed again at how easy this hunger games were turning out to be.

"Alright! Let's take her back to camp then!" He also laughed as he lifted her out of the water. They walked out of the river and into the woods. Peeta watched as Cato threw Katniss over his shoulder and carried her off. His stomach ached with a pain because he did not know how to save her, but he was going to do everything in his power. He quietly and quickly followed after them. He stayed in the shadows and near trees to not be noticed.

When they reached camp Glimmer and Marvel were nowhere to be in sight. "You think they went out for food?" Cato asked in hope. He may have been one of the strongest tributes but foraging for food was not his forte. He threw Katniss' limp body to the ground.

"Well I'm going to go check the traps that we set this morning and see if we got lucky. We should have paid more attention to that part of training I guess." She grabbed one of the packs that was in camp and headed out. "Don't kill her. Just torture her for the whereabouts of the boy from 12 and any other information you can get out of her. I'll be back soon." With that Clove walked out of the camp.

Katniss began to stir on the ground. Her head hurt very badly and she could barely open her eyes, but she was trying to figure out where she was. Then the scariest thing that she could think of at that moment spoke. "What's the matter little girl. You a bit lost?" Cato laughed at her bluntly.

Katniss tried to get to her knees but slipped due to her dizziness. Her heart was racing and she could barely see out of her eyes. She obviously had a very severe concussion and could not think of how to get rid of it. When she rose to her knees this time Cato put his foot down into her back and shoved her hard back to the ground. "Where are you going sweetheart? Isn't that what your mentor called you all the time? Do you not like my company?"

Katniss rolled over so that she was facing Cato. She hated that he just called her sweetheart. The thought of it made her gag. She kept trying to adjust her eyes, "What are you going to do to me?"

"Well we want to know where your team mate is. So I have permission to torture you." Cato's laugh was haunting her.

She rolled back over onto her knees and tried to stand up. Unsuccessfully she fell back to the ground. Her vision was becoming clearer and clearer, but Cato noticed that she was feeling better so he grabbed her by her hair and tied her to the nearest tree. As soon as she was secured he slapped her hard in the face. "How did that feel?"

"Thanks can I have another?" Katniss smirked at him. Her vision was back and she started to think of a way to get out. Cato walked over and slapped her hard again.

"Where is he?!" Cato yelled.

"I don't know. I must have knocked it out of my head when I bashed my head in." Katniss laughed this time. Which only made Cato more furious. He went and grabbed his sword and was about to run her through when Marvel came back to camp. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey I thought I heard you talking to someone." Marvel seemed un-amused to this situation so Katniss figured out in her painfully throbbing head that this is how they are taking out tributes from each district. Catching one and making the other tell them everything.

"Well she saying she don't know where Lover Boy is. I think we can't use her for anything else. Might as well kill her now." He shrugged his shoulders at the thought of killing just another tribute.

"Well she can be used for other things." Marvel looked around and then stepped closer to Cato and whispered something in his ear which made Cato laugh. "Besides Glimmer and me ran into Clove and there was nothing in the traps so they are going fishing at the river. Should take them awhile to actually catch something."

Katniss had no idea what they were talking about but suddenly got the feeling that she should be elsewhere. She looked around for any signs of escape and she wished Peeta would save her now.

Peeta had climbed a tree close to camp but not to close. He could hear them, but he could not see them. He heard that Katniss was not going to give up their camp which was good news to him. Now the boys were talking to quietly to hear. He looked towards the river and saw the two girls from one and two trying to catch fish. They were not doing a very good job, but he was sure that attacking right now was not wise.

Back at camp Marvel was grabbing a weapon then he walked towards a path leading towards the river, "Don't take too long. I want a chance too. I'll keep watch." He again started laughing as he leaved camp.

Katniss still was clueless to what was going on. Cato came closer to her. He grabbed at the rope that was keeping her bound and tied her tighter to the tree and farther up its trunk. Katniss was now standing.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this. Better give the people back home a good show." He slapped her again across the face. Katniss hung her head to the side that one really stung. Cato went to undue her pants and Katniss realized what he was talking about. She started flailing her legs to try and stop him. He grabbed her throat and shut off her oxygen. "Now you're going to give me what I want and you're going to be nice about it or I'll just kill you now." Katniss lifted her leg and kicked him in the stomach.

"Get away from me!" Peeta heard her loud yell and knew there was no way to help her. He knew that Marvel was underneath his feet somewhere and close by were the women. They would instantly kill both of them if they could.

"Ha I like a little fight in a woman." He got up from the ground and dusted his pants off. He walked over to her and put his face right in hers. "You are tied to a tree what can you do?" He smiled at her.

Katniss threw her forehead into his which she connected right above his left eye. She knew there was nothing she could do but fight. This time Cato clenched his fist and aimed for the wound on her head and punched her as hard as he could. It did not knock Katniss out, but it made her very dizzy and she felt as if she was losing her balance standing. The ropes that had her tied up kept her against the tree standing even though her legs could not hold her. She tried to keep her head up but was even having difficulties doing that.

Cato again approached her only this time he was careful not to be kicked or head-butted. He pushed his forearm into the side of her head to keep her face pointed away from him. Before she could struggle away from him he dropped her pants and pushed himself inside of her. She screamed out in protest but her cries for mercy fell on deaf ears. Her face was being scratched by the bark of the tree but that was the least of her worries. She tried to use her body to push him away, but that only made it worse for her. He pushed harder into her and held one leg up on his hip so he could go deeper into her. "You enjoying that sweetheart?"

The girls had heard the scream and had caught three fish so they started to head for camp. They came up to Marvel just standing guard in the woods. Clove asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"Well Cato is taking care of some business. We can't go back there yet."

Peeta could hear them talking in a nearby tree. They were 20 or so feet from him and he cringed inside because there was nothing he could do. He then remembered that he had land mines in his bag. Even though he could not assemble it onto the ground he could charge it and give it a good throw. 'It might go off close enough to distract them.' He thought to himself as he read the instructions on the front. 'Stabilize mine before pulling pin. Pull pin to set firing mechanism.' He hoped for the best as he pulled out the pin and threw it towards the three tributes. He held onto the tree tightly for dear life as it fell through the trees and landed on the ground. The other tributes heard the noise and went towards it. 'Guess it's not going to work…"

KABOOM!

The explosion was so close to the three tributes from district one and two that the explosion knocks them all unconscious. Peeta's ears were ringing from the blast but he stabilized himself the best he could and jumped down the tree. He ran away from the area as fast as he could and he was running strait towards the camp. He was ready to give his life to get Katniss out of that situation.

The explosion stopped Cato from further harming Katniss as he zipped his pants off and ran out of camp towards the sound. He ran right into Peeta at full speed. Both tributes fell to the ground before pulling out their weapons and start battling each other. Cato swung first and plunged his sword deep in Peeta's upper left thigh. Peeta screamed out in pain but took his much smaller knife and cut Cato in the arm. Cato withdrew his blade and stood back to look at his arm. Peeta grabbed a nearby rock and when Cato came at him this time he threw the rock and hit him right above his right eye. Cato feel down to the ground in a large pile and was not moving. Peeta thought he may have killed Cato but when a cannon did not sound he knew he must have only knocked him out. Knowing that precious time was wasting Peeta ran as fast as his wounded leg would allow him into camp and saw Katniss hanging from a tree by her wrists. The rope was cutting into her skin and starting to make it bleed. She looked up to him and said his name in a soft voice. He ran up to her and pulled her pants up. He quickly cut the rope on one side and began to drag her off.

"My bow and bag. It's over there we need it." Peeta set her down on the ground gently and ran over threw the bag and quiver onto his back and picked her back up.

"Here take the bow in case we run into anyone." They ran away from the camp, but keeping in close proximity to the river so they could cross when it was safe. They sat down to rest for a bit. Katniss was still very dizzy, "Hey you doing ok?"

"I'll be fine. I'm just so happy you got me out of there." She started crying softly. She had not noticed the wound in Peeta's leg yet.

"Why are you crying?" Peeta grabbed her and pulled her head against his chest. "You are out of there and safe in my arms again. And don't you worry I'm going to kill Cato for what he did to you." He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back.

"It was so terrible Peeta. I never want to feel that again. I can't believe that the Capitol allowed it. Why didn't they stop it?" She was going to keep going but Peeta silenced her with a small and gentle kiss.

"They just want a good show. Katniss. That's it. I bet all of Panem was watching you as well as they are watching us right now. Don't worry it is over and it will never happen again. I promise." He motioned her to get up and she did. They walked towards the river and not seeing anyone near they crossed it in a shallow part. Their cave was very close by and the water from the river had cleaned out Peeta's cut. He tore off one of his undershirts arms and wrapped it around the wound.

"Are you injured?" Katniss asked.

"Just a scratch. Nothing to worry about." Peeta did not want her to worry.

Peeta walked up to the log that he had tied the game to this morning, "Hey we got dinner all lined up." He gave her a very reassuring smile.

"Good I'm starving." They walked into their cave and Katniss quickly started a fire. Haymitch was right about the smoke. It looked as if it was going out a tiny hole in the stone, but at least they were able to get warm and cook their food.

Back at the Capitol Seneca was watching once again silence fall on Katniss and Peeta so he switched the cameras to different tributes. Everyone was going crazy for the District 12 tributes. They loved how Peeta rushed in and saved Katniss, but one person was not happy. President Snow intended the fire to kill Katniss, but it had not worked. It had worked to split up some of the other tributes so it would cause the games to get more interesting. He will make this work out for only him


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Besides the tributes from one and two who were now tending to their wounds and hunger; there were still nine tributes left in the games. Tributes from six and eleven were split up after the fire. Rue could not find Thrush no matter how much tracking she did. She was wet and cold from the nightly rain and wanted to make a fire but feared if she did another tribute would find her.

Peeta and Katniss were still laying down when the dawn broke. Katniss got up and began preparing herself for another long day in the Hunger Games. She shook Peeta to wake him up and her hand grazed his forehead. He was running a fever and was not responding to her trying to wake him. 'How had he gotten sick here? Did he eat something raw?' She thought to herself. She started a small fire to keep him warm while she was away looking for food. She covered him with her side of the blanket to keep him warm and did not see the pool of blood on the cave floor when she left. As she walked out into the daylight she saw something move into the trees. She drew her bow thinking if it were another tribute she would have to protect herself. She saw the all too familiar face of Rue. She lowered her bow and waved her over to the cave. She noticed how cold she looked.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She said when Rue was close enough to hear. "Are you alone? Where's Thrush?"

"We got separated during the fire. I ran as fast as I could and lost him somewhere as I ran. I ran across the river to escape the fire and fell in. I'm so cold."

"Come on. I just started a fire." She led Rue down into the cave. Rue walked through the narrow space in between the two open areas of the caves with ease. She ran up to the fire and started rubbing her hands together. She took off her top layers of clothes and started to dry them by the fire.

"Thank you so much." She felt warmer as she sat next to the fire. Katniss put another log on the fire to make it larger for the small girl. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did but go ahead." Katniss smiled and chuckled.

"Why didn't you kill me when you saw me?"

"Well I think it is because you remind me of my sister." She put her head down. "We aren't supposed to team up with other tributes but you are different. I don't know why but I feel like I have to protect you." She pushed a clump of hair behind Rue's ear and smiled. "You make me feel like I'm home and not in this horrible place."

"Do you have any food?" Rue asked hopefully.

"No I was going to get some when I saw you. After you warm up and dry off do you want to help me get some?"

"Sure."

Peeta started to stir on the ground. When he rolled over he never expected to see another tribute in their cave. "What the hell is going on?" He sat up quickly and armed himself.

"Don't freak out. Put the sword down Peeta. She's ok."

"She is not ok! Get her out of here now Katniss!" Peeta was angry and wanted to stand up to defend his area but could not stand. He was too weak from all the blood he had lost.

"Peeta stop. I will watch out for her. She got separated from her team mate."

"You think I care. We are not supposed to team up with other tributes. You want the game makers to punish us?" When he moved again the blanket rolled off of him and exposed the blood on the floor.

"Oh my god Peeta what happened?" Katniss rushed over to his side.

"Yesterday Cato cut me." Peeta did not leave his guard down but started calming down.

"You said it was just a scratch Peeta. Nothing to worry about." Katniss took off the scrap of cloth that Peeta was using to stop the bleeding and more blood came out. She looked through the hole in his pants and saw the large gash. She knew it was bad but did not want to alarm Peeta.

"Is it really bad?"

"No you're going to be fine. We just have to get you medicine like the healing ointment we had before. When was the last time you got a something from a sponsor?"

"Never. Guess I don't get many parachutes."

Katniss was worried. This is why he had a fever. His leg was severely infected and his own blood was poisoning him now. "We will think of something."

"Like what?" He laughed.

"Something." She leaned down to him and kissed him on the cheek. Rue turned away and watched the fire.

All of Panem was now watching them. Gale was watching from District 12. He hung his head down ashamed that he never tried to make something more of his friendship with Katniss. Knowing Katniss he figured it was just a way to get some sponsor to send them medicine. "She said she would never fall in love because we live here." He muttered under his breath as he went back to his work. He noticed everyone around him was staring at the television. 'I don't care if she is with him or not she should be mine. Please get through these games Katniss so you can come home safe to me.' He thought to himself as he turned to look at the screen again.

Back in the arena Peeta was still amazed that Katniss had kissed him. He decided not to pursue it more and quickly changed the subject. "So was are we going to do about Rue?"

"Well we aren't killing her for starters." Katniss stared him down.

"I'm beyond that. I just want to know what are we going to do?" Peeta smiled at Rue who returned the grin ten fold.

"I can hunt and fish. I also saw a big parachute holding a large trunk land across the river this morning. Don't know what was in it or who it was intended for but I think we should go look for it." Rue's clothes were dry enough that she started putting her layers back on.

"Sounds like a good idea Rue. Let's go. We will be back." Katniss ran her fingers through Peeta's hair and smiled. Peeta wrapped himself back up in the thermal blanket as Katniss and Rue left.

When they walked outside Rue started giggling. "What is so funny?" Katniss asked.

"You and him you know…" Rue continued giggling.

"Hahaha very funny. Come on let's go little duck." Katniss turned to walk towards the river when she realized she just called Rue the nickname she gave her sister. 'Guess she really reminds me of Prim. I got to get back to Prim.' She hung her head low as they came up to the river.

Rue ran up to a nearby tree and climbed it with ease. She reached in her bag and pulled out a pair of binoculars. She scanned the surrounding area and saw that the elite tributes were enjoying a feast out of the trunk that she saw earlier fall to the ground. She climbed back down and told Katniss what she saw. She remembered that Peeta had picked up some landmines from some tributes he had killed. "Wait here Rue. I have to go get something."

She ran as fast as her feet would carry her to their camp. Peeta was sleeping again so she took both land mines from his bag and ran back out to Rue. As she tried to catch her breath she leaned down and scooped up some river water and took a large drink. The camp was over a 100 yards away from where they stood. She showed the land mines to Rue and she looked at her strangely.

"We are going to set a trap for the others." She continued to plan with Rue how they were going to blow up the tributes food.

Later after they prepared the three fires they went their separate ways. Katniss gave Rue a hug and held on to her longing for her sister. As she walked away she turned and looked at Rue one more time. Rue smiled back at her and she continued.

Katniss snuck close to the camp and waited for Rue to light the first fire. As soon as she saw the smoke so did Cato.

"Hey look someone must be trying to get warm. Come on let's go take them out." All four tributes ran off as fast as they could.

Katniss ran into their camp. She set up the mines on either side of the trunk so when she shot an arrow into the trunk it would cause the mines to explode. She pulled the pin to set the firing mechanism on both and quickly got out of camp. She turned and launched an arrow at the first mine. She missed completely. She calmed her breathing and readied another arrow. As she released the arrow she let out a slow and steady breath and before she had finished the explosion from the mine blew her over.

The second explosion went off and she turned to look at the elite tribute camp and everything was in disarray. Nothing of the food was left and the trunk was split in two. She got up and dusted herself off. She could hear someone approaching fast so she ran to the meet up point which was about 200 yards from their camp. Rue wasn't there. She began to look around frantic. She whistled like Rue had showed her and did not hear the response she was looking for.

Peeta woke from the explosions and thought the worst. He got up and used a log to stabilize his bad leg. He walked out of the cave and turned to hobble towards the smoke in the distance. As he got closer he saw the form of Katniss running off in the distance so he followed not knowing where she was going. He thought to himself, 'Good thing I brought weapons. Who knows what that girl is doing.' He smiled because she was alive but from the look of her face she was worried. He did not dare to yell at her because who knew where the other tributes were.

Katniss ran towards the last pile of limbs that Rue was supposed to set fire to and it was still there untouched.

"Katniss! Help!" Rue called in the distance.

Katniss ran up to her and saw the netting that was holding her down. As she released her Marvel jumped from the bushes and launched a spear towards them. She pushed Rue out of the way and threw an arrow into his chest. He fell over dead before Katniss turned to Rue. The spear had hit her in the middle of her chest. Rue pulled it out slowly and looked at the blood she was now loosing. She went to fall but Katniss caught her. She laid her down in her lap.

"It's ok. You will be ok. It's ok." Katniss knew the worst was about to happen. Rue had lost too much blood and she was going to die in her arms.

"Did you blow up the food?" Rue asked.

Katniss giggled a bit and smiled at her. "Every bit of it."

"Good." Rue took a deep breath. "You have to win." Katniss couldn't respond she did not want to cry in front of her. "Can you sing?"

"Yeah." As she cleared her throat and began to sing, Glimmer was sneaking up behind the two. She was just past the tree line and Katniss had not seen her yet. She had her sword drawn and was about to run in and plunge it deep into Katniss something grabbed her from behind.

Peeta grabbed her and wrapped his one arm and his only good leg around her and he used his body to hold her to the ground. He covered her mouth and nose with the other hand. Glimmer kicked and thrashed against his body but he was too strong. As she gave her last kicks Peeta whispered in her ear. "You should have never thought you could take the one I love out without some kind of fight out of me." She gave it one last try before she went limp. Peeta held her just to make sure and there was no more fight in her.

Katniss had not heard the commotion behind her. As Rue's life slipped in her hands she began to cry. She screamed at the top of her lungs and threw the spear as far as she could. She cried over Rue's body and Peeta walked slowly up behind her. She turned quickly and saw that it was Peeta. Two cannons went off letting all tributes know of the two deaths.

"Oh Peeta. I couldn't save her." Peeta sat down next to her and gently stroked her hair. She leaned into him.

"It's not your fault. It just happened. Don't cry." Peeta wanted to tell her that it didn't matter because only two people from the same district could make it out but he felt that it would just start an argument. "We better get moving though because someone might have heard you scream."

"I can't just leave her like this." Katniss wiped at her tears.

"You don't have to." Peeta stood up slowly and limped over to some flowers and started picking them. Katniss followed his lead and began picking flowers too.

Katniss laid many of the wide white flowers all around Rue. Peeta zipped up Rue's jacket so they could no longer see the blood and he put a bouquet of different flowers in her folded hands. As Katniss laid down the final flowers in her hair she kissed her softly on the forehead. Both tributes stood up and looked at Rue's final resting place. As they walked away Katniss turned to trees as if the cameras were on her kissed her three fingers and then raised her hand to the sky. This was a sign of respect in all districts. Peeta did the same tribute to Rue and then he grabbed Katniss hand and started to walk away. Peeta still had a few flowers in his hand.

As they walked up to Glimmer's body Katniss turned to Peeta questioning him with her eyes. "What? She was going to kill you so I stopped her."

"You have no weapons." Katniss looked at his body.

"You said it yourself that I am strong." He smiled. He bent down and adjusted her body so it was resting in peace. He closed her eyes and laid the few flowers he still had in his hand in Glimmer's now stiff digits. "I am never un-armed when I can still use both of my hands."

They continued to walk and Peeta leaned heavily on his make shift crutch. The heat of the day was getting to him. "I need to sit down Katniss. I'm so dizzy and my heart is pounding like it's going to come right out of my chest."

"We are almost back Peeta. Another 100 yards then you can take a break." Katniss leaned into him to give him more security.

They slowly got back to the cave and night was setting in. It was getting very cold in the air. The two tributes sat down and Katniss started making a fire.

"Are you hungry?" Katniss asked Peeta.

"I'm always hungry here. You think Haymitch will send us a trunk of food like the other tributes?" Peeta laughed at the notion.

"Yeah he would probably send us something if he could. You know sending stuff to us requires sponsors and we aren't the most well liked district." She looked at him and noticed that his face looked green in the firelight. "Let me see your leg." She leaned over him and saw the infection spreading. The wound was raised and red. Even though most of the bleeding had stopped the red lines under his skin were indication that something was wrong. His fever and his dizziness earlier were all pointing to that he had blood poisoning. She had seen it before and generally without the right medicine the person died. The worried look she had on her face was now making Peeta nervous.

"It's really bad huh?"

"It's ok. You will be ok." She wrapped a scrap of cloth around the wound.

"Katniss. You should just leave me."

"No don't talk like that I'm not going to leave you." Katniss grabbed his hands. "We are in this together. Right?"

"No I'm holding you back. You would do better if you were alone and I might not make it…" Peeta was going to continue but Katniss pressed her lips to his.

As she pulled back she said, "Don't talk like that. You will be ok. I'm not going to leave you."

"Why?" Peeta asked wanting her to say that she loved him again. He knew she wouldn't because they were on every screen in Panem.

Just then there was a beeping noise coming from outside. Katniss went to see what it was and there was a parachute dangling at the cave entrance. She ran to the parachute and pulled it down so no one would see it and reveal their position. She opened the canister and there was a note from Haymitch, "You call that a kiss? H" She looked up at nothing particular and smiled. She knew what he had meant. She brought the canister down the cave.

"What was it?" Peeta asked. "Is it medicine?"

Katniss opened the tin inside of the canister. "No it's soup." Peeta went to grab the soup but Katniss stopped him. "No it's ok I got it." She grabbed the spoon that was also in the canister and started spoon feeding Peeta.

"That's nice."

"You fed me once." Katniss gave him another mouth full. Then she took one for herself to ease her aching belly.

"I think about that all the time. How I tossed you that bread. I should have gone to you. I should have gone out in the rain." Katniss gave him another spoonful. She felt his head because he was sweating again.

"You feel hot." Katniss was trying to duck the conversation but Peeta was not about to stop.

"I remember the first time I saw you. Your hair was in two braids instead of one. I remember how in music assembly when the teacher said 'Who knows the valley song?' and your hand shot strait up. After that I watched you going home every day. Everyday."

Katniss just looked distantly at the soup in her hands.

"Well say something."

"I'm not good at saying something."

"Then come here. Please?" He held out his hand to her and she took it. He led her to lay her head on his chest. "Even if I don't make it out of this…"

"Shhh. Just stop."

"Katniss?"

"No just don't say anything. I can't take the thought." She laid back down on his chest and heard his heart beating like he had just run a mile in a minute. Even though he had stopped she couldn't stop her own thoughts about Peeta may not make it home. She silently started crying.

They lay there still for some time before they heard, "Attention Tributes. Attention. Commencing at sunrise there will be a feast tomorrow at the cornucopia. This will be no ordinary occasion. Each of you needs something desperately and we plan to be generous hosts."

"Your medicine." Katniss felt super charged. She was going to get it to save Peeta. She started gathering her things.

"You're not going alone." Peeta sat up.

"You need it and you can't walk." Katniss went to stand up but Peeta grabbed her arm.

"You could get killed." He held her still. "Katniss why are you doing this?"

She leaned down and started kissing him more deeply then she had since the beginning of all this. She wanted him to know there was no other way but she couldn't tell him. She threw her things down and ran her hands through his hair. She stopped to gasp for air.

"Now there's no way I'm letting you go. Please stay."

"I'll stay." She wanted him badly for putting her first. She did not want the home crowd to see it happen. She had already been raped on TV she didn't want something so private to be seen. She leaned into his ear and whispered so softly barely Peeta heard her let alone the people watching their every move, "After this is all over I'm going to do nothing but show you exactly how much you mean to me. You will be begging me to stop. I love you."

Peeta smiled at her and did not know what to say so he tilted her face and he kissed her again. Softly and sweetly this time and everyone watching hearts sank. Even the game makers could not look away. Gale back at district 12 was throwing a fit at his house. He had spent so much time with Katniss he wanted to be with her. He was tossing things outside and his brothers knew that they should leave him alone.

Katniss and Peeta lay together for most of the night until Peeta started shaking with fever. He was shivering but he was still so hot she knew she had to do something. She got up and covered him so he would not get cold. He was still asleep when she left. She thought to herself as she headed towards the cornucopia 'I have to leave Peeta. I'm sorry. I couldn't save Rue I have to save you. You are the only one that can make it back with me and I don't want to go alone.' It was dark out but she followed the river till she saw the clearing that the cornucopia was in. She hid in the bushes and waited for dawn. This was going to be a long wait, but she needed to do it to save Peeta.


End file.
